The Howlett Legacy Book Three: Crossbreed
by wolverinacullen
Summary: After six months, Nikki Howlett is more than a little unsettled with past events and life as it is now. Can this truely be the life she was meant to have? And what can be a major catalyst to give up being a hero...for good?
1. Issue 1

**Book 3: Crossbreed**

**New Life**

Strange things had happened since my birthday, almost six months ago. It was like the world was preparing for Armageddon. Elie and Jareth had left for the Underground with their family. Apparently a lot was in turmoil by the little we'd talked since they'd left. It already felt like forever. The covens had packed up and gone North to Denali. Carlisle's excuse was that Kate's family needed a little more help now that the strange weather was affecting the North. They left the house, my family's house, to my extended family, the rest of my pack. Mutants-even the ones under my protection-had flocked to Utopia. I saw a pattern emerging. People were gathering together to present a united front...but what did they know that we didn't? I was developing a major case of empty nest syndrome.

With Daken having left Claudine for Bullseye, and of course ended their marriage in favor of third-times-the-charm with him, I was a little more than surprised. Then again, so was she. Their only agreement- Claudine got amnesty with the X-Men and was allowed to go to Utopia and raise their family. Yes, I'd said family. Surprisingly, Daken had agreed. I don't think he planned on being away from Utopia too long. Then there was Laura and Kyle. They'd gotten serious to the point where they were counting the days until she turned eighteen so they could get married. I was happy to see how...human, he made her. But the entire idea of my barely-legal almost-daughter running off with a guy older than her into a life I was sure would end up back on the San Francisco coast...irked me. This left me with Vincent and Tayla (and Sal, because no matter how much the others asked, or how often, he wouldn't leave the object of his imprinting behind in Canada for his friends in Chicago) until we knew what the hell was going on.

I'd taken it upon myself to reinvent myself. I'd forgone my lifelong bloody red and indigo for a silken fawn brown with chunky golden streaks. My wardrobe was less Vampire and more...Adam Lambert worshipper.

Of course I felt like I was something out of Sex and the City.

I took a private gig from Summers, putting out a hit on Drac's baby boy gone bad, Xarus. That catches us up to the present, doesn't it?

I was sitting on my perch atop a building at Fisherman's Wharf, San Fran. This was now notoriously vamp country. My scent blended in perfectly here. A blond chick in a short skirt aka Xarus's prey was running, screaming, directly into the nest inside the building I was perched on. A typical X-Man would've saved the girl before she got there. She had three young ones on her trail leading her straight to Xarus, and her screams were annoying me. I'd help her out later, when she really needed it.

They chased her into the building and I took it as my cue. Great thing about this costume...oh wait, I don't think I mentioned that. I have a new costume, and it's pretty badass.

It's all black, leather in some places, spandex in others. There are parts cut out of it, exposing shocks of pale skin, just nowhere Emma-like. Big black platform boots completed the look. Oh, guess what the best part is? My mask, is entirely facepaint. Like Rocky Horror, but slightly more badass. I have a black stripe across my face, over my eyes, and silver circling around it to form a slightly butterfly mask shape. White outlines the silver at the very edges. It's hugely theatrical, but oh my god do I LOVE IT! It warms my heart in so many different ways, not just because I've become the most flamboyant X-bitch either.

By the way, I have no trouble referring to myself like that either. I've stopped hanging out with girls anyway lately.

The girl was being feasted upon like some gourmet snack, and I smiled off to the slightly familiar blond, "Miss me Xar?"

He turned his attention to me, and much like his father, it was a wordless command. His vampire sprung forward, and in the time it would've taken me to unsheath my claws, rather I produced two guns from my boots and took the old fashioned vampire-slaying route. Xarus's calm demeanor started to crumble by the time I'd taken out half of his troupes.

"Finish her! All on!" he yelled to them. It took me half a second to switch the magazines and keep firing. I had a feeling the blond was thanking me now, she would've had a lot more pain dying at Xarus's hands rather than the minions.

It was down between him and me. I couldn't fight the smirk on my face. This was just like the old days. Before Logan, before settling down. Back when I was the baddest bitch on the chopping block and everyone knew my name.

"Mutants. So eager to lose your lives" Xarus said.

"Who're you calling mutant?" I smirked, and I let him see my natural tools of the trade. I knew a vamp vampire hunter was almost unheard of (even with Blade around. He was a Daywalker, he didn't count) so the look of shock on Xarus's face was almost amusing. I leapt. He lunged. I parried, he pivoted. It was simply a dance. A violent dance. Every move countered the other. He was almost like my equal on the battlefield, but he was young and stupid, I wasn't. One step out of place, and it was over. I got my arms around him, flipped upward, and the bullet followed through. It was laced with a special nitrate to take him out. Since he was the sire, that meant everybody who'd been infected was now being cured. Yeah, thanks Summers.

It took me ten minutes to figure out I didn't have all night, and the parties at Circus wouldn't resume until next week at least. I sighed, went back to Utopia to get a shower and a ride home, and upon my reentering the house...I knew something had changed within me. I was too used to superhero-dom.

I tossed my bag into the closet and changed before crawling into bed. Logan's arm wrapped around me, knowing damn well I was there...but that spot in the bed felt less like home, and more like too permanent.

_Just the beginning_


	2. Issue 2

**Crossbreed**

"You know how much this means to us" I told Laura as I shrugged on a leather jacket over my costume. I was about to climb in the brand-new red Ferrari that was the product of my latest shopping spree. I had the money for it, and it was just calling me...

"I know, I know. Just...come back in one piece" she said, looking to the floor.

Logan had left for his own solo job with Wraith from Team X almost a day ago. I had to do a quick scout-and-run for Summers while Logan was out. With Logan gone, Daken and Lester were the ones 'in charge' as far as the house went, but Laura was staying back with Kyle from their date as a precaution. I didn't have to be a telepath to sense she was afraid. That something like this had happened before and she'd lost someone dear to her. So without protest, Kyle stayed and Daken politely told her they'd just take separate parts of the house to stay out of each other's business.

"I'll be fine. I'll be a half hour drive away. Less if I hit turbo" I said with a smile she didn't return. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her in a tight, warm hold, "Laura, you'll be fine. I promise. I'll be back soon okay? You and Daken can hold down the fort. I trust you."

She nodded mutely against my neck and I released her, "Hey, my new Rocky Horror DVD is in the DVD player. Why don't you and Kyle just hang out? I'll wash off and bring back dinner on my way back. How about that? We'll get Chinese? You can have your favorites."

She gave me a small smile and nodded, "Alright. Just be careful m-Nikki."

I nodded in reply. I knew how hard it had been at first to accept me as Logan's wife, her mother of sorts. How strange it still was for her to call me that. Daken only said it with sarcasm.

I climbed in the Ferrari and drove out.

The pavement was slick with autumn rain, the streets near the freeway clear. It was time to see what this baby could do. The most beautiful purr came from the engine when I accelerated. This baby was a brand-fucking-new 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO. I had no idea if it was sold in America yet, but I had no problem getting one. I wasn't surprised when I arrived at my destination in fifteen minutes. New record.

"They sent me to work with you?" was the first thing I heard stepping out of the car.

I turned to face Chloe Creed...or the former Chloe Creed. Instead of clad in worn out ratty buckskin, I was surprised to be face-to-face with a leather clad...bombshell. Jealousy burned hot in my veins. She looked as good as me in her brown leather hipster pants with the tan backless silk top that tied around her throat like a choker and was cut to reveal more breast than I thought she had.

"Wow. I had no idea Victor cramped your style so badly" I said.

She grimaced, showing fang, "I thought you were supposed to match your husband. Apparently we both broke that little stereotype."

I took that as her version of a 'you look pretty good yourself' and I took a breath to release the tension gathering in my tendons. I'd hated this woman for as long as I'd known her and her husband.

"We're working together?" I asked her.

"I live on Utopia too you know. Victor and I are divorced. Just because I hate him, doesn't mean I can't find...attempt, to find solace with him." Her amber eyes were suddenly full of sorrow. She hated the man as badly as I once had. I'd come to forgive him, with time. Chloe's hurt was well justified, and definitely deeper than mine would ever be.

"I'm sorry" I found the words slipping out.

She didn't reply, only moved forward. I found myself pitying her...and empathizing with her. She knew more pain than most women would ever dream of imagining. Despite being beautiful, she'd never have anyone, all because of the claws that replaced her nails. What was there to do, besides offer her a hand? Whether she took it or not wasn't up to me.

It was in fact the briefest scout-and-run I'd ever done. There was absolutely nothing TO do. After about ten minutes, I wondered if Scott had set us up to see if we'd kill each other.

We looked to each other as we were about to part ways. She to a black Lamborghini Murcielago. I reached out to her and said, "If it's any consolation...I love your outfit. and your car."

"It's not mine, just used Cyke's car to rent it." Her lips quirked into an almost-smile as she took my gloved hand to shake, "If it matters, I love yours too. Car and clothes. and makeup." A step toward a truce, and we parted ways.

When I got closer to home, my bright lights barely cut through the mist that accompanied torrential fall rain. I had to bring the car's speed down to nearly twenty miles, since my range of sight was only about five feet ahead of me. The drive through town toward the house was trecherous, and I smelled the temperature dropping. When I look back, it was trivial. I was worrying about the weather, cussing in my head about how it was going to snow in November, and how I was going to have to hurry to get the place decorated on the outside if it was to be at all...

My phone ringing cut through the moment. Laura was hysterical. She said Logan came back, something was wrong, Daken and Kyle were handling it. If I'd thought the mist was choking in town, when it turned to fog down the driveway from the house, I had to inch the car up the driveway into the garage.

Kyle and Daken were in the doorway, Logan a few feet from them. He had a smile on his face, so sweet and pure and sincere I couldn't help but go to him when he reached for me. "Missed you" I said quietly to him while he embraced me.

Hot, ripping pain tore through my torso. My mouth opened in what should've been a scream, but nothing came out. I glanced to the side, Kyle's lips were twisted in a snarl. Daken had a look of horror and rage on his face. I couldn't see past them. I slumped backward, and I looked up.

Ice cold rain was around me, easing the burning pain that had torn through my abdomen. Logan...was on fire...his eyes...not human...his claws were dripping with my blood.

Everything went dark.

_Laura_

Vincent looked like a caged animal. Sal had a frightened Tayla in his arms, hushing her, while Vincent paced like a caged tiger. He kept having to push back his shaggy blond spikes. After the last time he'd gotten his hair cut, he let it grow out. His eyes were blazing. He looked like a Howlett, and if I wasn't so terrified, I'd be proud.

The moment Logan walked up to the house I knew something was wrong. Kyle made me go upstairs with the others. Lester was with us, but he was quiet, calculating. I knew he was anticipating having to use the knife in his boot. I heard Nikki walk up, then Daken's shout of her name, Kyle's growl. The scent of brimstone stunk up the house, slowly. Vincent's pacing slowed while the smell grew stronger.

"Laura..." Tayla said softly.

"Stay. Here." I said quietly. I left them with Lester and crept out of the room. I was silent, I knew how this worked. I didn't leave my perch near the stairs, but I heard Kyle...fighting despite agony. Daken...crying? My feet moved forward before I knew I was moving. I looked around the door. Kyle was seared to the bone, his face and body covered in burns, his clothes barely charred rags...and Logan was burning...Daken was holding Nikki...I felt faint but didn't. As fast as Logan was there, he was gone. It was like a horror movie. Kyle was on the ground, choking, gasping. Vincent watched these movies. Was he there? Lurking? Would he appear when I went to Kyle and kill me? No...I wouldn't die...I would fight. I ran to Kyle's side and dropped to my knees beside him.

"Laura..." he coughed before choking. I lifted him, tilting his head so the blood he was coughing could come out. I supported him on my arm, rising to my knees as he vomited blood.

"Kyle...what happened?" I whispered.

He coughed a few more times while his lungs knitted back together before he looked to me. His face, streaked with blood, was healing, "She's gone."

I whipped around.

Daken held Nikki in his arms. He wasn't crying like the males in movies did, with dignity and practiced sorrow...he was heartbroken...Nikki's body was covered in blood, her insides torn apart, she was ripped from the top of her stomach to her waist...Daken was covered in her blood, his tears so real...and he was clutching her. I wasn't aware when Kyle became the one comforting me, but somehow, we made our way inside. Words were exchanged. Vincent and Tayla weren't present. Lester took over dressing Kyle's wounds, and I sunk into the couch.

I hoped, when I woke up, I could find out this was all a bad dream...

_Lester_

It took about an hour to dress the wounds of Kyle's that weren't going to heal in one night, then get him into lose clothes and into bed where he could sleep it off. Daken hadn't parted from Nikki's side. He was clinging to a shred of hope she'd heal, so I complied with him, fixing the wounds as best I could without his help and putting her in bed. She was cold, wet and bloody. I even had to close her eyes. I had to give him credit...I'd seen Wolverine come back from worse. Maybe she was going to come back. I'd give it a night. I hoped.

By the time I was done, I told the big guy to take care of the kids, then joined Daken in the shower.

"This how every Friday night is with your family?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head into my shoulder, "It used to be."

"Want me to wake up your sister?"

"She's not that bloody. She can sleep. We'll be okay..."

He tried to disguise the tears slipping out of his eyes with water, but I wiped them away, "Shh...let it out. Let it out."

He sunk into my arms and for a change...I supported him.

We were going to be okay...we had to be okay.


	3. Issue 3

**_Author's Note-In this issue, Nikki's thoughts will come in under italics and interrupt the narration. You'll see why. Just thought I'd avoid confusion and let all of you know._**

**What I Deserve**

_Preface_

**_Laura_**

For the longest time, we couldn't get ahold of Jareth. It was only until almost thanksgiving he returned, only to tell us "Dark magic is for dark professionals." Of course we contacted Dracula, and he'd told us he'd get back to us. He hadn't yet.

Daken and I had been left in charge of keeping things as normal as possible; helping Vincent with homeschooling, and when Thanksgiving fell upon us...that too. Daken and I spent all day inside cooking while Vincent and Lester played football in the yard, though halfheartedly. We had no idea what was going on. Sometimes Nikki would be alive, sometimes she wouldn't be. Daken refused to let it go, he had hope and wouldn't give up on it.

I was fixing stuffing when it finally hit me. We were alone.

Logan wasn't here. Nikki was 'dead'. We were really alone this time.

"Laura..." Daken said quietly, pulling me back before I cut my finger off accidentally. I barely turned my face when the doorbell rang.

"Shh...calm down. Maybe we'll have something to be thankful for today."

I could only nod.

_Fire...Rah above make it stop...I-I can't stay whole...so much burning...oh god oh god please stop! How long have I been here? This isn't hell, I'd know if it were hell, this is somewhere in between the world of the living and there...oh god I just want to be alive again_

"Laura?" Tayla asked quietly.

I turned to my little sister and smiled, "Oh baby you look beautiful!"

She clutched onto the arm of her teddy bear as I helped her onto a chair at the table.

"When will Momma and Daddy be back?" she asked. It took every ounce of effort not to tell her.

"I'm not sure honey, but they want us to have a happy thanksgiving here without them" I lied.

"When they call, can I talk to them next time?" she asked.

"Of course" I said.

"Laura, come here" Daken called. Thank god for my baby sister still being more or less human. I went into the other room, and the familiar-former enemy of the X-Men's-bright, nearly neon, pink tinted red hair gave her away before her darkly haunted eyes did.

"Morgana" I said with relief.

"Where is the child?" she asked both of us at once.

Daken lead her away, and I breathed out a sigh. She was here. There was something...oh god Nikki would live again. I had to believe that...especially now.

**_Vincent_**

"Not fair!" I shouted at the top of my lungs when Lester shot the ball out of my hands with a twig.

"You said powers football" Lester said with his stupid assed grin.

"Fuck you" I muttered, picking up the football and chucking it at him.

"Hey, cool it" he said, picking up the ball, "It's time to celebrate."

"What is there to fucking celebrate? My mother is DEAD. Her husband-who I used to believe was my father-did it and went MIA. Who the hell do I have to turn to anymore?" I yelled.

"You have your brother, your sister, and me" he said, in a softer voice.

"It's not enough...it'll never be enough" I said quietly. I went back in the house and washed off before I came back to sit down. Laura was cooking, not mom. I could hear Daken conducting business, not Logan. What in hell did I have to be thankful for?

**_Daken_**

Morgana started with a spell of protection around the house. She said the forces of hell would not be allowed to enter this land unless summoned, ever again. Then, she began. I watched, because it was the only thing I could do. The scent of stuffing, gravy and turkey was reaching the room, but so was the spreading scent of brimstone. I stared at Morgana. Fire spurted between her hands; it took effort not to jump away. Nikki was burning, but this time, things were changing about her. Her pale skin seemed to melt away and come back, a little tougher looking. The brown and blonde streaks in her hair changed, turning black with some blue...things I'd known forever, tiny imperfections on her were gone. She was ethereal. This wasn't Nikki, though I knew it was.

"Nykrolaii" Morgana said, finally.

"What?" I half-whispered dumbly.

"She who cannot be burned by fire, in Russian. Nykrolaii. It is her destiny" Morgana said. "She will return to herself within twenty four hours." She rose and held out her hand to me. I took it and bowed at her feet as she was accustomed to, "Thank you, Goddess."

She smiled, "You are pure of heart Daken Akihiro. I respect you." Like a spirit, she disappeared. I stood and moved toward Nikki. She looked like a porcelean doll. The few scars she had were gone. If it was possible, she was more beautiful. Her black and blue hair was slowly forming back into her natural curls.

"Nikki, baby girl, you don't know what you're missing here" I said, stroking her snowy cheek.

There was too much to be thankful for today.


	4. Issue 4

**Chapter 1**

_Nykki_

It had almost been a month since my...rebirth, of sorts. It was almost Christmas, and Logan hadn't even made an attempt to return. After Christmas, I left for LA.

The moment my plane landed, Victoria called.

"Hey you" I said, beaming at the cute TSA boy as I ran my duffel through the airport baggage check. I shrugged off my loose black sweater with the ice blue tank under, and placed it in. I put her call on hold while I took off my flip flops and dropped them in the little basket, and took out my wallet from the pocket of my denim shorts and put my paused phone in. Once I walked through I picked it back up and reassembled myself. "Go on."

"How was your flight?" she asked.

"Great. Time for some R N R in the City of Angels! The Beautiful People here I come!" I laughed. People gave me looks, and guys looked me over.

"I'm staring in your jewlery box and noticing you did not take your wedding ring" she said.

"It was great of you to come stay with the kids, but I didn't ask you to raid my stuff" I said. I whistled and waved to a taxi, "HEY! Taxi!"

She laughed on the other end, "You sound like you're twenty again. Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

"I've been reborn Vicky, it's about time I started living" I said. I scooted in and said to the driver, "Take me to the first 24 hour cafe you can find downtown."

"Oh god. No. You are not!" she said, "Nykki you stalker!"

"Hey, I had to do it" I said, "I'll call you tomorrow and tell you my game plan, mk?"

She shocked me by not hanging up, "Are you seriously going to leave him?"

My breath caught and I stopped short, "I don't know yet Vicky."

She made a sound, and I could tell she was examining my ring, "Sometimes it really is too good to be true. Sometimes you're just fucking yourself over."

"Vicky, please. I'll make up my mind when I make up my mind" I said, "You know how I feel."

She sighed this time, "Fine. Just feel the beating of my heart echoing against the earth and the pants of my breath behind the crackling of leaves beneith my feet, and I'll be there."

"Go preach your fortune cookies to someone else okay? Vacation time. See you" I said.

She sighed, "Bye."

My quest in LA was simple; see if I could indeed find someone bisexual or straight that I could fall in love with. That wasn't Logan. If I was going to leave him, I was going to make sure I had someone I loved. The whole thought of leaving him was ludacris, I mean...the man had been my world for a decade...but I'd loved Zander longer, and look at what had become of us. He was dead, our children were dead, I'd started over as much as I possibly could, but there were scars. I had never let myself be good enough for anyone else. I'd been the doormat my whole life, and I couldn't live that way anymore. I couldn't hide behind my mask anymore; I wanted to be badass to peoples' faces.

"Here y'are miss, that'll be ten even" my driver said.

I put the ten and an extra five in his hand, "Keep the five."

"Thank ya" he said.

I climbed out of the cab, and walked into the cafe. _He_ was sitting at the counter, having a coffee. I walked up to him, and told him the last thing he'd said, "The boy gave the girl of his dreams twelve roses, eleven real, one fake. He told her that he'd love her until the last rose died."

He turned to me, and if I'd ever doubted it...it was real when I stared into his eyes. His eyes were beautiful. He was beautiful. His skin was soft, with the tattoo on his bicep...

Cassidy gave me a pearly smile, "Nykki. I've been waiting all day!" He stood and gave me the warmest hug I'd ever recieved. I melted into his arms the way any other girl would. For a moment, I was just the same as them. I was not a scarred freak. I had no problems, no worries.

"Hey Sunshine Rebel, I'm home."

and I closed my eyes.


	5. Issue 5

**Chapter 2**

_Victoria_

It was a thought that occurred to me many times before, so I had no idea why I was surprised I thought of it. I must really love Nikki to take care of her life while she's away. But not her job-no one could pay me any amount of money to put on leather and spandex and kick the asses of guys I'd typically-not to mention SHE'D typically-pick up in a bar.

Bullseye seemed to be the real deal for Daken this time. They were happy. I watched them over the paper while he helped Daken make dinner.

"You know, I never thought I wanted kids. I always knew they'd grow up to be hell just like me. Then again, I'd rather that than keep them kids" he said, looking at Daken with a wistful expression.

Daken laughed, "We just inherited my siblings for a short while. Get used to it."

"You just _have_ to be gay, don't you?" I asked him.

Daken laughed again, "I've always been. Just...into women before."

"I hate you guys and your boob fetish" I said, sipping bloody tea.

"It wasn't that" Daken said, "If anything, it was the...oh nevermind. Lester does it better."

I choked, looking at him, "Don't tell me. Seriously."

_Nykki_

Cassidy's sweet silken voice was like a faux fur throw. Comfy, soft, enveloping me in enough relaxation that I could fall asleep. He sang Moon River-the song I would typically fall asleep to. Yet, I sat with tea in my hands, smiling at him as he sang and strummed that beautiful acoustic guitar. He looked to me as he strummed the final note, the lingering sound hanging in the air, "Do you have any plans tonight?"

"Not a one" I said, blushing a bit. Cassidy choked me up. He made me feel like a love-sick fourteen year old girl.

"Good. Cause I want to bring you along with Blaise, Barbie and I when we go out tonight. It's New Years Eve, I want to take you out. Wine and dine you. All you've done for a week is save me from musical suicide" he said.

Hours. I took _hours_ on my look. I straightened my hair to perfection, and then curled it. I spent so much time in front of the mirror doing my makeup I rivaled Barbie. By the time us girls were done, the boys were more than ready to go. Cassidy looked at me, and I hoped he saw perfection.

"Wow. You look beautiful" he told me. His arm, like a gentleman, stayed around my waist. Mentally, I cursed myself for thinking anything different.

"Ready?" I asked. But Blaise and Barbie were already out the door, so we could only follow.

It was a swinging club party. Shot after shot, dance after dance. We lived like sinners in our prime. Cassidy and I danced, his beautiful self able to keep up with me. By the time I was tipsy, he was completely gone. He held me close, swaying our bodies to the beat of the music when he whispered, "God I love you." The sweet scent of flavored vodka on his warm breath ghosted over my face for a moment before he kissed me. It was long, it was passionate, it was his kiss...

"3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR" the room cheered as it became 2011. He continued to kiss me. Glitter and balloons fell over us. My self and my mind just melted into him.

From the corner of the room, I heard Barbie and Blaise cheering for us.


	6. Issue 6

**Chapter 3**

_Nykki_

I crashed on the couch watching indie flicks with Barbie some time around four am. I was blissfully drunk, the ladies of the house sipping red wine and trading dating horror stories.

Cassidy was talking to Blaise, and I could hear it, "There's something about her. It's so freaky, but it's good freaky. She's worked with the band, and hung out with you guys...I'd like to take her to meet Brad and Adam."

"At the party tonight? You sure about that Cass? Adam's boyfriend's gonna be there, and his ex-slash-friend. If she met his band alone that's one thing, but Tommy and Drake in the same room...ya never know" Blaise said.

I knew it. I KNEW Adommy was real!

"It's beside the point Blaise. She's special. I can feel it. She's different."

"You fell for her, didn't you?" Blaise said, "And here I thought you were married to the music."

I lifted my head to glance at him. He looked out the window and said, "I might've. I don't know yet. I do...I feel something for her, big time. I just..." He shook his head, "Forget I said anything."

Barbie turned toward them and yelled, "You two shut up! I still have a hangover!"

I muffled a laugh and turned into the pillow.

_Laura_

I stretched out across my bed, my face buried in the throw pillow under me. I barely felt Kyle's claws brushing through my hair. I was so tired. I didn't know why, I just was.

"Laura, c'mon, talk to me" he murmured.

"Tired" I muttered.

He gently gathered me into his arms, holding me against his chest. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft thumping of his heartbeat. A warm, familiar, safe rhythm. "You don't need to go down this road babe. I'm here."

I shook my head, "I'm not depressed anymore. I just...I'm worn out. I don't know why."

"It's hard not having them here, isn't it?" he said quietly.

"Yeah" I said quietly, "I miss them."

The doorbell chimed cheerily, it was so uncalled for how joyful the bell seemed to be...I got up and walked downstairs. Kyle followed, as always.

"Hello?" I asked as I opened the door.

"That any way to treat your sister?" Claudine asked.

A spark of hope lit, and I threw my arms around her, for once feeling my age, "CLAUDINE! Oh my god! Thank you!"

She laughed and hugged me back, "You're welcome baby girl. Let me take over. It'll be fine from here."

**(author's note-I know this arc is dragging out, but things will pick up next issue, and it shall be longer.)**


	7. Issue 7

**Chapter 4**

_Nikki_

The moment I woke up, I knew I had to go home. It felt wrong to be here...in someone else's home. It had been...three weeks? Plenty of time to make the decision.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Cassidy asked. There was sadness in his gorgeous face, but the one thing I knew beyond all reasonable doubt was that I had to go back to my life. I wasn't normal, I couldn't spend time pretending I was.

"Yeah, I do" I said. I gave him a warm hug, "I'll come back sometime. I just have to go home Cass...please understand."

He nodded, "It's okay. Go, have fun."

I wished I'd had the ability to reassure him, but I didn't. I got back home as quickly as I could. The moment I was through the door, Daken leapt up, "Nikki! Thank god you're back!" He was about to continue when I cut him off.

"Never call me anything than what I've been, okay? These have been the best years of my life, understand that now. Do you have any idea where Logan is now?" I asked.

He shook his head, "No. He hasn't been in Canada since." His hands rested on my hips, "You sure you're okay?"

"No, I won't be until he's back with us, but thanks for the concern" I said. I stroked my fingers over his and felt my lips turn up in a smile, "Aren't you going to welcome me home?"

That sly smile returned as he picked me up off the floor, making me laugh, "Welcome home. Now forget my sentimentality and go get suited up and go after Logan."

I ruffled his mohawk, "Leave it to me."

He rolled his eyes and backed off, "That's what I'm afraid of."

The familiar sight of my...our room was enough to make me breath correctly for the first time since I left LA that morning. I dropped my bag on the floor and kicked it under the bed along with my sandals. I grabbed my beautiful costume and changed. The air was tinged with sweetness-an early spring, perhaps? I'd hope. I jammed my boots on and looked in the other rooms. Laura and Kyle were asleep on the floor of her room, the TV still playing, Tayla asleep near Sal in her room. I edged over dirty clothes and scattered game controllers and CD cases to Vincent's bed. I kissed his forehead gently, watching his amber eyes blink open.

"Mom? Mom!" he leapt up, catching me around my neck and nearly yanking me down. I laughed and brushed back his soft amber hair, "Go back to sleep sweetheart. I'll be home soon."

"You're staying now?" he asked.

"Yep" I murmured to him, easing him back onto his bed, "I just came home to change. I have an idea as to where Logan may be, when I find him, I'll come back."

He nodded and whispered, "Good luck."

I climbed back toward his door and turned, seeing his eyes falling shut again, "I hope I won't need it."

**!**

The familiar grounds of Xavier's campus was supposed to be one of the most secure locations on the planet-except, they didn't have bugs, security cameras, metal detectors...absolutely ANYTHING that would really increase security. That was how Logan got there before I did. He was outside, brawling with Colossus, and Colossus was losing.

"Logan!" I shouted, trying to get his attention.

He whipped around, the fires of hell in his eyes. They weren't the oceanic blue I knew, the beautiful, loving, soul I knew. I couldn't hurt my Logan...but I could hurt what was inside him. I grasped as tight of a hold on my magic as my claws came down. He took a step away from Colossus, and I took one toward him. "Let go of my husband or I'll kill you."

"I'd like to see you try" he said, in a voice that wasn't his. He took off, his claws gleaming and ready to strike. I caught his claws in mine, locking, throwing sparks against each other. He growled, and when he couldn't get free, his growl became a roar.

Cyclops and the ghost rider boy were just emerging from the mansion. I had to buy them time.

"Logan...please listen to me. I know you can hear me" I said to him.

"Logan is no more!" the voice shouted back at me.

"I refuse to believe that! I know he's there, or I would've given up. I love him. Logan, fight it; they're nowhere near as strong as you."

"He will fail."

His claws pushed against mine, pushing me down. I fell to my knees, pushing back. I should've been, but I wasn't scared. I looked into the demonic eyes that once belonged to the man I love, "Please Logan...come back to me."

His attention was solely on me, I knew he would never see it coming. The power of me combined with Ghost Rider-and we shoved the demons from him. He fell. After nearly five minutes, I touched his face, "Why is nothing happening?"

"He has to come back to himself...it's been known to take time."

"We don't have time" I said, cradling his face in my hands. I pulled off his mask and my gloves, stroking my fingers through his hair. "Logan...baby talk to me..." The soft rhythm of his heart under my hand was reassuring, but not nearly as reassuring as it would've been to have him speak to me. Him, his voice, rough to most, but so gentle to me. His eyes, the color of the ocean reflecting the sky on a hot summer day, the eyes I knew and loved above all else. His smile...whether it be a small, amused one or his playful, canine bearing mischievous one, that I'd give everything to see again...

"Logan please...come back to me." Tears slipped from my eyes to drip to his face. They fell against his cheeks, slowly sliding off. My heart felt hollow, my chest felt tight. Fear gripped every cell in my body, longing...

"Oh god Logan please..." I whispered.

A sob escaped me. I grasped his hand between both of mine and whispered, "Please..."

His fingers gently slid through mine, a quiet moan falling from his lips, "I'm here. Don't cry..." His beautiful eyes opened to me, his gloved thumb sweeping over my cheek, brushing away my tears, "I hate it when you cry."

I released his hand and fell onto him, kissing his lips, his jaw, his throat, everywhere I could between sobs. He held me against him, the feeling of his arms around me, the warmth of him...

"Oh Logan...I thought I lost you..."

He chuckled softly, "Never. I love you...always." Gently, his lips ghosted over my wet cheek to my lips.

I wasn't even aware Cyke was back until I heard his annoying voice behind us, "Nikki, Logan...unless you want to face Emma, go home."

I looked at him, through the haze of tears and whispered, "Thanks Summers."

**!**

Logan was noticeably sore and tired, so we got a ride home rather than making him rough it the whole way. He and I settled in as soon as we got home, taking turns with changing and washing off, and then we had our mutual favorite; pizza and beer.

His arm wrapped comfortably around me, my head resting on his shoulder. He kissed my hair lightly, "What you did was incredibly brave. I could've hurt you."

I looked at him, stroking my fingers along his strong jaw, and I whispered, "You did. That's why all this happened."

"All what?" he murmured, bringing me closer.

"I made sure the house was protected, and at first I looked for you at the mansion, but when they had no idea where you were...I went to LA and stayed for about three weeks while you were...unstoppable. It was only yesterday when I decided to go get you because I finally made my decision to come home."

A moment of silence passed between us as he whispered, "You were going to leave."

I closed my eyes, "At first I was scared, but then I was just angry...I didn't know if I was going to or not. I went to LA to blow off steam...party...but I decided we've been through enough together already. I can't back out when I know I need you so much...when I'd hope you need me too."

His arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me to his chest as he murmured, "Darlin you are my everything. Needing you is an understatement. This is the happiest I've ever been in my life, what could possibly make you think that if you left I'd be able to function without you?" He brought my face to his, and I saw the relief in his eyes, the shock...and some hurt. My lips softly pressed to his, "Logan, shh...I will never leave you. I didn't leave you. I can't leave you. I can't breath...I can't think without you."

He wrapped me in his arms and kissed me, so gentle, so loving, so passionate. My lips tingled from his warmth. His soft lips traced down my neck, over my collarbone, nuzzling, kissing.

"I love you" I whispered.

He gently turned me, laying me on my back, his beautiful eyes gazing into mine. "I love you." Once again, his soft lips graced mine, as I knew they would forever.

**X**


	8. Issue 8

**March Madness (or Vincent's Thirteenth Birthday Party)**

Vincent looked at Daniella while she messed with his hair, twisting it around her fingers and stroking it. He held in the purrs he felt bubbling up in his chest as he looked into her intent eyes. Valentine lounged on the floor, watching Fuse on his TV.  
"For god's sake just fucking purr" Valentine said, sitting up, "You're starting to sound like a drowning mountian lion."  
Daniella smiled and her fingers trailed down his jaw, "Sorry. I have a sister, not a cat."  
Vincent sighed, "Thanks. I'm not your cat, either."  
"I can make so many jokes about that" Valentine said.  
"I can make so many jokes about YOU, ya giant glittery pink piece of paper" Vincent growled, launching himself off the bed to tackle his vampire best friend onto the floor. They wrestled, flailing and shouts and thuds hammering onto the floor until Laura busted in the door, "WILL YOU BE QUIET?"  
"It's my birthday!" Vincent yelled at her, "It's the one day of the year you have to suck it up and go out somewhere else with Kyle!" With Cathrine's birthday on the 18th, and Alle's on the 24th, Vincent was last of the month on the 28th. Everyone got a party, that was his mother's philosophy. Last year, he recieved an electric bass, a ton of albums and his own songbook, which had since been filled nearly full with chords and notes forming songs worthy of the Black Veil Brides. Needless to say, about a month after buying it, Laura wished she hadn't spent the 25 dollars on her brother's nonexistant music career.  
Laura was about to retaliate when Kyle appeared in the doorway, "It's your birthday? Now I feel cheap. Laura didn't tell me." The resemblance between them had grown since Kyle had ridded himself of most of his piercings, save for two earrings in his left ear and three in his right, and he'd d ressed less like a goth and more like he'd used to before the whole Romulus incident. His black t-shirt was only slgithly bagging on his lean muscle. He looked less like a friend, and more like Vincent's brother.  
Kyle took out his wallet and offered a folded bill to Vincent, "Consider this picking your own present."  
Vincent took it and his jaw dropped, "Holy shit. This is a hundred dollar bill!"  
"I have plenty of 'em. Happy birthday squirt" Kyle said. Laura gave her boyfriend a proud smile, "That was incredibly sweet of you Kyle."  
"Thanks" he said, a light blush crossing his cheeks.  
The doorbell rang, and Logan's voice shouted upstairs, "Vince, there's somebody we wantcha t' meet!"  
Vincent squeezed out between his sister and Kyle and headed down the stairs. A kid about his age was standing in the hallway, with a blond girl that looked like Miss Frost. She and his mother were openly conversing over drinks. The boy was looking around nervously.  
"Vince, this is Max. He just got to Nation X and his parents were worried about him makin' friends" Logan said.  
The kid's eyes widened in fear when he looked at Vincent and saw the resemblence to his biological father. Vincent held out a hand, "Hey."  
Hesitantly, the kid put his hand in Vincent's, "Hi."  
"This is Chelsea" Nikki said, "We were in the Weapon X program together. I think you'll be looking at the future Missus Wilson."  
Logan looked back at them, "So you're telling me she's interested in Wade? How many drinks have you had darlin?"  
Chelsea laughed, "About a thousand this year."  
Vincent lead Max up the stairs. He wasn't a big kid, actually rather scrawny. He had a mop of plain brown hair. He looked like an ordinary kid.  
"So what do you do?" Vincent asked.  
"I have multiple personalities" he said, "I change with them. There's me, and there's DJ, and there's Louie."  
Vincent nodded, "Are they big time badass or something?"  
"I don't remember what I do when I'm them, and they don't remember what they do when I'm isn't...human. He's a wolf. DJ is twenty something, acording to my mom. They know me and my life but I don't know anything about them" Max said.  
"I'm Sabretooth's hate child" Vincent said.  
"Hate child?"  
"Well he didn't love my mother, and there was no mutual attraction, so I'll leave it at that."  
Max looked down, "Your mom is in married to Wolverine?"  
"Yeah."  
"How long?"  
"They've been together for ten years. Married for five."  
He looked at Vincent with shock, "I thought his girlfriends usually died."  
"They did, but he was dating Melita when he met my mom. They split 'for her protection' and probably not a week later hooked up with my mom."  
"That's absolutely inacurate" Laura said, "It was two and a half weeks later."  
Kyle wrapped an arm around Laura, tugging her out of the doorway, "Let the new kid take it all in babe. The last thing he needs is to lose his mind today."  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence bro" Vincent said, leading Max in. Valentine was still sprawled out on the beanbag, and Daniella was sitting on his bed, which was actually made today, in his room, that was actually clean today. Vincent sat next to Daniella, gesturing around the room, "Anywhere ya please. This is Ella, and that's Valentine."  
Daniella took her bag off the floor and handed a pretty wrapped red box to Vincent, "This is for you. I didn't want you to wait." He took it from her hands, their fingers brushing. He blushed, slitting the paper on his claw. He opened it and looked in. In tape-wrapped tissue paper was a handful of guitar picks, ones from Hot Topic, or rather, a few handfuls. And under them, he lifted out two things. A set of shiny, brand new dogtags with his name on them, and a pair of old rusted ones...with his father's name on them. He looked at Daniella and said, "He lost these during Team X."  
"I found them last time Chase took me on a hike. I knew you'd want them back. Well, you may hate him...but at least he had a little bit of honor at one time, right?" She looked at her hands as she said it to him. He took her hand and pulled her into a close, warmer-than-friendly hug. "Ella, thank you." He drew back, his amber eyes glittering, and he leaned in and kissed her.  
Valentine rolled his eyes, "Get a room."  
**X**


	9. Issue 9

**Team X Prequel: Poetic Demise**

It was a typical day until I got home from school. With Yukio in the hospital after Logan being posessed by demons, my sempai friend Hotohori hung out with me at home usually, but not today. I was laying across the floor with my music playing, studying for my history exam tomorrow. The door opened and shut with the jangle of keys, and I sat up and popped my head over the couch. Logan was standing in the door. I looked him over for a good few minutes before relaxing, "You're you again."  
He smiled in the Logan-way, "Hey kid." He came over as I stood up and gave me a huge hug. I revelled in it, beaming, "What's going on?"  
I looked at him as I pulled away, and saw the look on his face had changed. His tone was more than a little rushed as he said, "Hurry up and grab everything that's important to you. I mean it. The necessities. Go."  
I was used to ninja attacks and god knows what else, so I sprinted into my room without hesitation. The bag was on the bed before I mentally registered I pulled it out. In went most of my clothes, the picture of my biological family, my laptop and ipod, a bunch of miscellaneous things I'd had put together in a big box for emergencies. Frantically, I grabbed my picture of Yukio, Logan and I that was taken years ago, and the tattered, restitched plush person Logan brought me. My sock full of money was the last thing in as I zipped it and ran back to Logan. He grabbed my hand and we were off, actually down the stairs. "Why couldn't we use the elevator?" I said to him through my breath as I struggled to keep up.  
The lights began to flicker. A low roar built in the ground until the building was shaking violently around us. Most people would've screamed; I just knew to keep pace with Logan and I'd leave alive. We rushed out into the street in a hurry. Tokyo was tipping and things were falling; bricks, glass, a billboard short circuted. Logan grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the building and the cars beside it. We were surrounded by structures. If the city decided to collapse, we'd be goners for sure, but Logan did the one thing people who were running around didn't do; he covered me while the world shook. I heard the roars of crumbling concrete, the sounds of snapping wires and a creaking groan as some kind of structure toppled. Every sound was amplified, every breath I took I could feel in every tiny vein in my body. My heart was pounding so fast, for a moment I was deaf to everything but my hands clamped over my ears, and the sudden wave of horror as I screamed "YUKIO!"  
It was over as quickly as it started. I pulled away from Logan and glanced around in shock. Tokyo had been ruined. Buildings had taken hits, the pavement below our feet was cracked and in some places sticking up. Logan radioed in the X-Men. I looked around, my mind not comprehending what my eyes were seeing.  
"W-where's the hospital?" I asked. My voice was choked with fear and despair.  
He looked where I was looking, and suddenly it clicked into place. The building...was gone...my eyes wandered to the ground. There was billowing dust. Logan grabbed my arm and said, "Don't." The pain in his voice mirrored what I felt in the pit of my stomach, rising into my chest, rising into my throat. I couldn't breath; gasps coming hard, strangled by sobs. My vision was hazy, and then I realized I was crying. I was clutching my stuff and crying like a lost child. Logan brought me into a warm hold, his hand on my back. I heard the roar of jet engines a few minutes later, but I couldn't bring myself to focus. The mother I'd known for a long time was dead. In the moment, I felt like death followed me like a curse. I heard footfalls, and another person was pressed against me and Logan for a moment. Their words weren't registering.  
"Did either of you get hurt?" A female.  
"We're fine. Yukio...I don't think so." Logan.  
"Oh Logan..."  
"Amiko?" His voice was softer, more...more fatherly, I guess. I forced myself to look at them. The light seemed blinding as I realized the woman standing next to Logan had to be the reason he'd been gone so long. After all, she was beautiful enough. She looked like his type. I looked at her. I was in utter shock. My body was cold, tingling, not really feeling.  
"Amiko, are you okay sweetheart?" she asked.  
I shook my head, "How can I be?"  
If I said I was surprised when she pulled me into her arms, I would be lying. It's the last understatement possibly made. But there was a warmth to her that I suddenly sensed, and I broke down. I collapsed into her arms and just shut down. Logan scooped me into his arms and brought me onto the jet.  
After about an hour, I realized I was just sitting with the woman. I looked up at her, "Where's Logan?"  
"He went to make his last goodbyes" she said.  
"His last goodbyes? To who?" I asked.  
"The Yashida/Harada family, and Itsu" she said quietly.  
"Itsu?"  
"His first wife. Daken's mother."  
"Who's Daken?"  
She smiled, "You'll meet him soon I guess."  
"Why is he saying his last goodbyes? They'll rebuild Japan."  
Her smile fell. I saw tears gather just behind the eyeliner stained rims of her eyes, "Amiko, we had to start hovering about twenty minutes ago. The aftershocks started. People around the world are panicking."  
"Why?"  
"There's going to be a big tsunami. So chances are, even if they will rebuild Japan after this...there will be more, and not everything will be the same."  
I looked at her. She seemed full of sorrow. I also realized she wasn't in a superhero uniform like the others, "So why aren't you all suited up?"  
She smiled, albet a little sadly, "I'd just gotten home from bringing my son's best friend to the house from the airport."  
"Oh. I'm sorry...you and Logan are married?"  
"Yeah."  
She was easy to talk to, even easier to warm up to. Logan came back into the jet, and eventually, the one jet of evacuees was taken back to the US, as well as ours. When we dismounted in San Fransisco, my mind cleared up for a few moments. I knew exactly what I needed here...to start over again. Just like Zero in Vampire Knight.  
I am Amiko Koyobashi. I am Zero.  
**X**


	10. Issue 10

**Team X Prequel: Temporary Home**

Chelsea Calahan was born on July 25, 1985. She was a beautiful girl from the start, growing up with silky brown hair and fair skin. Her eyes were the green of the forest, and she had a laugh like bells. She was a happy child with a good life, but also, quite a macabre personality.

Chelsea climbed higher on the snow-slicked monkey bars.  
"Careful Chelsea! You might fall!"  
Just upon saying that, her classmate Andrew slid across the ice and landed on his leg. No one paid any attention, not even the teachers. Chelsea saw when he tried to get up, before he screamed. His leg was bent the wrong way at the knee. As the rest of the yard fell silent, hearing his cries for his mother, Chelsea burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Chelsea!" Andrew said, coming up behind her at her locker. He was momentarily taken aback by the bareness of the blue metal. She turned with her bag in her hand, "Yeah Andrew?"  
He felt oddly watched as he asked, "You wanna go to prom?...Together?" He held out the boquet he'd been told to give her. Suddenly, a mouse tumbled from the bundle of stems, shocking Andrew into dropping them to the floor.  
Chelsea scooped up the tiny creature before it could run away. She smiled, "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm busy that weekend." She walked off with the tiny mouse in her hands, leaving Andrew standing in shock.

The house was simple, passed down from generations. It was blessed to have running water and electricity, so it didn't have many appliances. The dead of night was only broken by a few peels of thunder, a sign of an oncoming storm. A couple kids gathered at the sidewalk across the street, "Are we seriously going to do this?"  
"Chill Collin. Chelsea's a freak. I think she's...one of them, if you know what I mean."  
"Camron, if something happens to her, we're going to be held responsible."  
"Nobody knows we're here...right?"  
"Yeah, my dad. He wouldn't let me out of the house before he knew I was taking a walk with you guys."  
"Damn it Collin!"  
The other boys passed around matches and fireworks and Camron said, "If I'm right, and I should be, we'll see tomorrow."  
They put the fireworks all around the house, watching them catch fire. Camron grabbed Collin's arm and dragged him away, shouting back at the house as he picked up and threw a rock, "See you tomorrow mutant freak!"  
Chelsea started to wake as the scent of burning fabric became too strong to ignore. As soon as she became aware, her eyes flew open. She gasped, choking and coughing. She whipped the blanket away and gasped-everything was engulfed in flames. She leapt up, racing to the window and pushing, barely budging the old wood. A can of hairspray popped. Stinging raced up her side. Another pop, another crackle. A sound like sparks raining. The sting grew more painful. She shoved, budging the window up enough to fall out. The grass barely cushoned her fall as she dropped, her singed clothes sticking to the burns on her stomach as if they were wet. She looked up at the stars, and gasped as the night rushed in, and slowly faded...

"Chelsea. Can you squeeze my hand, or reply to me?" the strong tenor of a young man's voice felt almost soothing on her ears. Her eyes, unaccustomed to the harsh hospital light, fluttered open before clamping shut again.  
"Chelsea, please speak to me" he coaxed.  
"Who, me?"  
The light over her eyes intensified. He said to someone else, "Just as I was afraid of."  
"What?" another, harsher male voice said.  
"Even with the regenerative capabilites we gave her, her concussion caused amnesia. She was forced to jump from a second story window, professor. She's lucky to be alive after hitting the concrete that hard."  
"Is it perminant?"  
"Most likely."  
"Did the...medication take?"  
"It was highly adaptive sir. It not only sustained her while she arrived, but the burns are gone entirely. The only problem is the scarring. She doesn't have Weapon X's finery sir. She's...to put it simply, not a mutant."  
"We can work on that." Once a pair of footsteps left the room, she cracked open her eyes. The man whose face she'd seen before sat near her. She said quietly, "Where am I?"  
"You're in The Facility. I'm Doctor Sands, I'm here to make sure you stay healthy." He peeled aside the bandages on her forehead and examined the healed wound. His touch was incredibly gentle.  
"Who am I?" she whispered.  
"Your name is Chelsea Calahan. You're the sole survivor of a house fire caused by arson. What the media will be told, is you were rushed to the hospital where you died. Your killers will be put in prison. There will be a public memorial with only your parents bodies. That's what the professor wants."  
"What does he mean, we can work on making me a mutant? What's a mutant?"  
"Someone different than you...and he literally means working on it."

A scream tore from Chelsea's throat, leaving the taste of blood in her mouth. She'd literally been screaming her throat raw since the 'procedure' started.  
"Yes, just a little more" the man called the professor coaxed the technician near her. Another burst of burning hot liquid, another scream, and suddenly...no pain. Nothing. Just the urge to sleep. To continue healing at a deeper level.  
"Perfect." Voices...noises...faded in and out. When someone's grip wrapped around her, she looked up, only for her suroundings to change.  
"Time Warrior? What...oh my god. What happened to her?" a gentle, female voice said.  
"She was forcibly mutated."  
She barely cracked open her eyes to see the watching eyes of a man in a red and black mask.

_Much, much later_

Chelsea was busy waiting tables when he came in and made himself at home. He had blood on his costume, and she looked at him with shock, "Deadpool?"  
"Hey...girl whose name I don't remember right now!" he said.  
She smiled, "What're you doing here?"  
"Logan asked me to drop by and give you this" he said, sliding a card for the X-Men across the table, "He thinks you should give them a call sometime."  
"Oh...what just happened?"  
"You have a minute?"  
She set down her tray on a nearby table and slid into a chair across from him. He tugged on his mask, then realizing people were staring, he left it be. "I just got back from Japan."  
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry."  
"It's okay, I guess. I've seen enough of it. It was Amiko's reaction that really...I don't know. If you want to know, it made me volunteer for the job instead of staying...seeing more of that."  
An impulse made her put her hand over the usually joking hero's hand, "I'll call them."  
He seemed to think for a moment, before he said, "It'd be more fun if you dropped in sometime."  
Her smile caused him to smile a little. "I'd like that."  
They both stood to part ways, but before she could grab her tray, he said, "Chelsea, what's a girl like you doing waiting tables in a diner?"  
She looked at him for a second before her characteristic smile spread the internal humor through all of her features, "Just waiting to be an X-Man."  
For a moment, something tangible hung in the air. Serious emotion between the two jokesters. Then, with a bow and a flourish, he said, "So I will see you around m'lady."  
With a swish of her ruffled sleeves as she turned, she said, "And I will see you soon, m'man."  
**X**


	11. Issue 11

**Team X Prequel-Masquerade**

"Tony, please open up." There were a million things to get done. Confirm the latest business plans, contact the buyer of Tony's car auction...honestly, his depression had only gotten worse lately. I let myself into his office, and even seeing he wasn't there wasn't enough to stop me from getting just a little choked up.  
In a glass case on his desk, right in the very center, was the ring he was going to propose to Allison with. Allison's death had been too sudden of a tragedy for everyone. Tony took it hardest of all, even after Nick Fury tried to comfort him by letting him know the pregnancy was a false positive. He'd only lost the woman he fell in love with, not any child. It had taken Tony a full thirteen days with Allison on life support to pull the plug. I forced myself to turn away from the ring as memories became too much to bear.  
_"I...I'm sorry Alli...I love you." He placed the gentlest of kisses to her forehead as he turned off the machine. Like a miracle, one that brought false hope to us both, she opened her eyes. She smiled, and she took the ring and put it in his hand with the last of her strength. I barely heard her voice, no stronger than a breath, but I knew it shattered Tony's heart.  
"Thank you. I love you too."_  
He watched her die. He held her hand. She'd surely seen the beginnings of his tears. I'd never known Tony Stark to fall in love-especially not so hard or so fast, but the way he'd lost her was nothing I'd ever seen before either. There was grief I could only hope he could shake, nothing was finite anymore. I looked back. I remembered Allison leaning over Tony's shoulder, admiring his work the first time I met her. She was graceful, and delicate, and elgant. She picked up the slack where Tony lacked. She made him better, and losing her destroyed him. The ring was set in its blue Tiffany's of New York box, just the ring she told him she'd dreamed of, or so I'd been told. It was one of the things they'd discussed on their few meaningful dates. Set in platinum, two sparkling amethysts-her birth stone-and a beautiful, sparkling princess cut diamond in the center. The box lay on a silver cushon, with a light on it. It was the utter epitomy of the love they shared.  
"Pepper..." Tony said. I turned back, looking at him. He looked...a bit more dignified, though pain showed in his eyes.  
"I didn't know you were getting ready. Does this mean you're finally going to take care of all this work?"  
He nodded solemnly and moved past me to his desk. Without another word, he said, "What are my first priorities?"  
"You have to finish the new business plan for the company, and call the man who bought the cars at the auto auction, then outline this year's budget for the stockholders-"  
"Basically in the order you gave me?" He said. There was no humor in his expression. I nodded.  
"Thank you." A note of genuine sincerity, with more than one meaning, hung in the air between us. I offered him the chance to open up yet again, "It's my job...especially as a friend."  
He kept his head down, and after a moment, I left the room. The phone rang. Nikki? I hadn't heard from her in months. Not since...not since Tony and Allison met.  
"Hey Pepper" she greeted.  
"Hi. What's going on?" I asked.  
"Can you ask Allison if she'll do me a big favor?"  
My breath stuck in my throat, but I said, "Sure."  
"I need someone else to help us out on the new team, and I thought she'd be just the perfect addition. Can you ask her to meet me at the Regency in New York with her armor and a masquerade ball gown?"  
"She'll be there." I said certianly, "Do you mind if she flies there on her own?"  
"No problem. Can't wait. Thanks Pepper."  
"No...thank you Nikki." As soon as we hung up, I went down the hall, into Tony's armory. I looked upon the polished suit he built for her, and back toward Tony's office. Some things just had to be done...  
and if Tony wasn't going to do this, I could for him.  
**X**


	12. Issue 12

**Team X Prequel: Sweet Seduction**

I'm really not a bad person.  
At least, I'd like to think I'm not. I'd hope other people would see me as I see myself-a victim of circumstance. This was like a really bad hand of destiny, completely not my fault...then again, I think every so often, maybe it was.  
You'd never think it, but I was born in a small town in Wales in 1852, October 31st to be exact. My mother died in childbirth, leaving me in an imopoverished life with my father. Most people would think that because my mutation came to be early on, my father would've shunned me. But he didn't. My father loved me. The little money he made, he spent on food for us, and whatever was left over would be spent on me. Pretty dresses and dolls like other little girls had were what he showered me with. Books and seeds for me to plant in a tiny garden we set up on the ledge of the windows in our kitchen in beautiful handmade pots. Typically, I made the handmade pots and painted them too. I couldn't go to school as I was, so I had plenty of time on my hands. I taught myself everything I felt I needed to do while my father worked at the mine some two or three miles away. I could always hear and feel the blasts under my feet. But after a group of men died in one of the blasts, my father was out of work, the mine shut down, and we were thrown deeper into poverty than before. He sold our plants, he sold our books, and by no more than my will, I made him sell the pretty dresses and dolls he bought me.  
When I was ten, the circus came to town. My father was getting ill, so I did what I had to do; I joined them, as long as they could keep money coming to my father. I was the lion tamer, a job oddly appropriate for me since I felt more like one of them than their trainer. I never used a whip or a chair, only my gaze and Russian commands. I learned three different languages in my years at the circus; Russian, Spanish and English.  
In 1892, my English was perfect, my father was dead, and I left the circus to travel to America-more specifically, to Chicago for the World's Fair. Chicago was the place of my dreams, and I wanted to stay forever...but soon, I found myself in the remote wilds of Canada, living like the lions I'd once tamed. There were others like me, I soon learned, and we joined together. We formed a small commune in the forests so far North, we were nearly in Alaska.  
There is a certian...problem with certian types of female ferals, typically feline ferals, but a few lupine females were seen with the problem. Typically, female ferals go through cycles every ten years. Of course they have the same fertility as other ferals, once a month like every other female, but female ferals seemed to have particularly violent cycles every ten years. If they didn't have their mate, which was typically their male counterpart, it was likely they would die. The females ages all ranged. The young ones that had been introduced to their counterparts could develop it, even ones older and stronger than me. It always depended on when they met their counterpart. Typically, it was short months afterward. I stayed with them until 1957, undetected by the world, waiting and watching as they all left and went back to where they'd come from, usually after having become pairs, and had cubs, and created families.  
I traveled across Europe and Asia until 1980. perfecting my skill. My killing skill. I learned whatever I could, any way I could. Then, in Panama in August 1980...what felt like my true beginning happened.  
It was a cool, rainy night when I met Victor Creed. He was hunting for the fun of it, I was tracking. We came across each other completely by chance. He caught my hunt, and I watched him. Beautiful, graceful, full of fury, and just like me. He finally noticed me. His smile, covered in blood, awoke everything inside me that made me feel...whole.  
"You going to stand there all night Kitten, or ya wanna act on somethin'?"  
That night, I knew. I just knew. He wasn't like me. He was rough, he caused nothing but pain, and I loved it. I loved him the moment he smiled at me. I started to crave the blood, the sex, the violent passion that exploded between us like lightning to a flagpole. We stayed in romance for ten years before we were married, No one knew, but Victor was a romantic, just like me. We were married in a church, a beautiful one. I was in a dress I never thought I'd see, and he was my dream come true. We had a daughter, and of course she and I stayed under the radar...until he was killed. I left Erica with Victor's sister Amber and joined the Marauders in an effort to find a way to avenge his death by picking up right where he left off, terrorizing the Wolverine's life. Once again, there was an 'until'; until my partner, ally, and just about best friend fell in love with him. My husband's killer was my best friend's lover. Feeling betrayed, I tried to kill them both more than once over the course of their relationship, but it was their people that brought my Victor back to life. When Timekeeper-a man whose gift was the manipulation of time-killed Amber and my Erica, she was the one that killed him. Though, many problems arose from both; from the first, Victor had fallen out of love with me...but it was my fault we didn't try again. I let my temper get the best of me and I divorced him. He moved on with a barely-legal bride who acted more like a lost kitten than a female feral. The second, she hadn't done it for me. She'd done it to avenge her own loss, the destruction of her own family, and to prevent the distruction of others.  
Which brings me to recent. Nikki and I teamed up once more. We've formed an alliance, and I feel...different. Scared. I feel like this is all my fault and I'm setting myself up for failure. I've changed yet again, I've become such a pretty girl and so full of real, raw emotion...sometimes when I look in the mirror I can't believe what I see looking back at me. Which is what brings me to sit at the bar of The Golden Cat, in San Francisco...waiting for something to happen.  
Webb, my new friend and the owner of the bar, was cleaning glasses while I zoned out over a pink champaign cocktail. The door opened, the bell jingled, and the scent of rain was carried in...along with his scent. I didn't turn, but I heard as he walked to the chair directly next to mine, sat, and his rough but calm voice say, "Strongest you got."  
Webb nodded and turned his back to us. For a moment I thanked whatever god there was that the bar was deserted on a rainy night like tonight, when the collage kids and some highschool sneak-ins usually lived it up, playing the classics on the jukebox and feigning interest in my era.  
"It's been a long time darlin" he said, very nonchalantly as Webb placed a bottle before him.  
"It really has" I replied.  
"How do ya like the rain?" His tone held a note of sarcasm.  
"The same as it was in Panama, Victor." Mine held a note of malice.  
He spun my chair to look at me. While I was never one to resist eye contact, I tried not to gaze into those sweet amber eyes I loved so much. I was afraid my will would crumble. I was afraid I'd be putty in his hands again. But I clenched my teeth and gave him a hard gaze, "What do you possibly want?"  
"To apologize, and if you'd let me, talk with you. I spent all damn day tracking you over the city, at least give me five minutes." Those eyes were so sincere, I caved. I crossed my legs and my arms over my chest as furiously as I could, "Go on."  
His eyes seemed to melt as he said, "I'm sorry Chloe." I wanted to cry. I loved the way he said my name. I hadn't been Chloe Marcus in almost thirty one years. I hadn't ever given up his name, even if I'd given up my ring.  
"I know you are" I said quietly, "I am too. I'm a territorial bitch Vic...and even now, I still love you."  
The tips of his claws were very soft as his fingertips pressed to my cheek, stroking from my temple to my jaw, "I love Kitten."  
"I know. But you think I can change that? You really think I can stop my heart from breaking every time I think of you? Every time I think of what I did wrong? I love you Victor, I'm always going to love you. You're part of me. What happens in another...less than a year now. Are you going to let me die when I hit my cycle?"  
"Never" he said, like a reflex, "I'll ease Kitten into the idea that you're back in my life, but...we have to keep this as friends."  
"Friends who have a physical fucking connection. Right. Because trying now is hard enough."  
"Trying what?"  
I caved. I was putty. "Trying to be strong, and resist every emotion tugging at my heart strings that is telling me to throw myself in your arms, kiss you and beg for your forgiveness." I stood up and looked at him. Webb had heard every word, but right now, that wasn't my concern. I touched Victor's cheek and said, "I can't fix myself, if you want to, I'll let you, but if you can't, I won't blame you either." I didn't give him the time to reply, I just grabbed my jacket and ran out into the rain.

I curled up in bed with pay-per-view and dry pajamas. The air was still hot, and if I felt any better, the carton of my favorite Rocky Road would be mine, but my stomach did little flips realizing I'd yet again fucked up. So badly.  
Heavy pounding on my door, and Victor's scent came through to me. I wished I wasn't so desperate as I rose to answer.  
He was soaked in rain, like something out of a Lifetime movie. I knew he had to have finally gotten drunk by the way he said, "Are ya gonna let me in?"  
"You know you don't need to ask." I stepped aside and let him in.  
"I had a fight with Kitten" he confessed, "That was why I was out lookin' for you. I knew...no matter what you'd see no faults. I'm a fucking monster, and you love me. How the hell do you love _me?_"  
I wanted to let go of all the tears as I went to him, grasping his hands and feeling the drips of water from his silken blond locks landing on my arms. I barely had a voice. "I just do." He leaned in, almost to kiss me, and I pushed him back. My heart was breaking. "Go home Victor. She's your wife. You love her."  
"I love you too. Shit darlin, did you take a couple hundred Ali shots? I never stopped loving you. I couldn't. Sometimes, you work your way into my head when I least expect it. Yeah, I love her, but we're connected. Letting you walk out that door was the biggest mistake I ever made." His hands gripped my arms, his claws pressing into my skin. I looked into his melted golden eyes and I threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him with all my strength.

Coffee was not an option. Not with my brain half sleep muddled and the rest completely blown away. I'd missed his touch, his kiss and his body all so equally, and he'd given it all to me. He'd fixed everything I thought was broken. There wasn't even the lingering feeling of depression anymore, just the joy of laying in Victor's arms, feeling his sleep-purring through his massive chest. The problem of him returning to his equally feral wife, who no doubt would smell my scent all over him, was the one we still needed to face together. Together...  
"I actually have a headache" he said softly. His hand rested on my back. He gave me one of his characteristic sweet smiles, "Breakfast, and then we head over to Nation X?"  
Naturally, he read my mind. "I'll get the food started if you make coffee."  
He nodded and laughed as we got up together.

Needless to say, our conversation with Kitten had been...eventful. Victor told her the truth; he was confused over his feelings and just wanting to be with us both. Kitten was hurt, confused and angry, just like I'd been, but I was probably the only one who understood what needed to happen. I told him, I was willing to share. That set Kitten off, but I'd never seen Victor have hope like that. He needed to hear it from me. He needed to know my love for him was in fact REAL love. I'd give him up if he wanted me to.  
I walked down the hall toward the door with my hand in Victor's for the first time in two years. It felt beautiful. He kissed me at the door and told me the door was open for me. I promised to be back soon. We parted ways, and across the wide, sunny yard, I ran right into Nikki-literally.  
"Chloe! I was hoping to hear from you!" she said, cheerfully. Typically that was a bad thing, but I was so happy I'd go along with it.  
"Hey Nikki. What's going on?" I asked her.  
"Well...I have an offer for you."  
Needless to say, I accepted.  
**X**


	13. Issue 13

**Team X Prequel: Two Hundred Seconds**

There is absolutely nothing better than the thrill of the hunt, I know this from experiance. Gliding over the rooftops like a shadow; that's my specialty. Sometimes, all I need is to let the animal have her due. Sometimes, she's stronger than me, and other times, I just don't fight her. Tonight is a night of both.  
A jump like this would make a human fall to their death, but swiftly, I glide onto the next roof, my boots skidding to a stop just before the ledge. It's the most beautiful sight I could see.  
_DONG. DONG._  
Big Ben at midnight. The glow from the clocktower's face illuminates mine and casts no shadow to the ground below. People are still out on the streets. If I were like them, I would be too. After all, it is a beautiful night. Rooftop after rooftop, I leap from building to building, feeling the muscles in my arms, legs and back stretch and flex as I make jumps that would put Mister Hyde to shame.  
I land on a darkened windowsill. This is my destination. I climb within, close the window and shut the curtians before flicking on a lamp. The room is old, but so is this hotel. It's the perfect place, the perfect hunting ground.  
It feels wrong to be a girl sometimes. Like right now. I feel so less human, so much more animal. I smell the other girls and their makeup, readying as I am. Black silk is clinging to every curve of mine. My raven-dipped crimson locks stand out against my pale face, the streak of indigo tucked behind my ear. Though the effects of the magic that brought me back to life from certian death have for the most part worn off, the feeling left behind hasn't. I can't play human very well anymore. I slip up a lot more. I look in the mirror and delicately streak my eyes with khol. A light dusting of silver eyeshadow, a touch of glitter and blush, and just a little change in hairstyle to hide the blue and make me look more human. I walked out into the bedroom and slowly folded my costume into my bag. I glanced into the mirror in the bathroom. Shrouded in shadow, my eyes shone with nightshine. My hair threw the light like burning fire. And no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't hide anymore...so why should I?  
I slipped on a pair of black pumps and slid out the door. I fixed the black mask over my face. They waited at the end of the hall in their masquerade gowns; Amiko in a replica Black Butler cosplay gown, Chelsea in a pretty red dress covered in a black shawl, Chloe in a dark blue cocktail dress that truely made me see how she'd changed since we'd been enemies, and Pepper, in a gold gown that I'd never believed I'd see her in.  
I felt a smile cross my face as I stopped before them. They all glanced at me, ready and waiting.  
"Let's go girls, it's time to do what we're best at."  
"Don't you mean _you're_ best at?" Amiko asked.  
I flashed her a smile, "We're doing what all girls are best at 'Miko. We're going to make a grand entrance."  
**X  
Next-Who is Raven Carlisle?**


	14. Issue 14

**Feather Of A Raven**

_Chapter 1_

_**Amiko**_

We entered the room in a cluster. Nikki's eyes flashed to someone and mine followed. She caught up to me and said quietly, "That's Don Salvador Morales. He's the only Spanish Don I've heard of. Keep an eye out, 'kay 'Miko?"

"Sure." I ducked away and went toward the table with food on it. I was going for a chocolate-dipped strawberry when another hand reached for the same one. My eyes darted up, and I gasped.

He was beautiful. Barely tanned, but his skin tone was sunkissed, his hair a clear natural sun-bleached blond, with dark lowlights. He couldn't have been much older than me. A little blush covered his cheeks.

"My apologies" he said quietly.

"You were here first" I said. He was the most gorgeous guy I'd ever met. Ever. "I'm-" Oh god. Fake name! "Ceil Butler."

"Ceil. A beautiful name. I'm Jacob Morales" he said. He extended his hand to me. Morales? Oh no...but my hand placed in his as I said "Salvador Morales's son?"

He looked away, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess you heard, if you know..."

It was strange, but I felt like I knew what he was feeling. He was living in his father's shadow-sort of like I had been sometimes when Logan was around, and even moreso with Yukio. Now, I might as well be completely in the dark with the hero thing.

"I know what it's like, trust me. You don't have to be like him."

"I know" there was sadness in the half-smile he offered me. I glanced over to Nikki and Chloe, where they were conversing with their contacts...Amir, Rayne and Tatianna, friends of Chloe's.

"Your mom?" he asked.

"Sort of. It's a really, really long story" I replied. I finally picked up the strawberry and he offered me a napkin. I took it, with a glance at him.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty."

Aw hell.

"You?"

"Seventeen."

"Bummer." He laughed. He had a pretty laugh, a rich tenor one like the melted chocolate on the strawberry. He closed his hand over mine and said, "But here, the rules don't apply, do they?"

I felt my cheeks flame. He moved, slowly, giving me an opportunity to stop him before he kissed me. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw a girl in a pretty silver and black dress changing the music so Katy Perry's ET came out of the speakers around the room. Slowly, Jacob moved closer, his hand cradling my cheek, his lips parted. Our lips brushed, a chill and a shock of electricity bolting up my spine at the same time.

Our lips locked for the briefest of seconds-because he broke away the moment the door was broken down.


	15. Issue 15

_Chapter 2_

**_Amiko_**

Jacob flung me behind him, whipped out his gun, and bolted for the DJ booth, "Ceil, MOVE!"

I ran and ducked in next to the girl in the silver and black dress.

I looked at her, and Jacob fell back.

"Jacob!" she shouted.

His shoulder was bleeding, and I grabbed his gun, and started shooting. I was done with this, done with the fighting, done with the violence.

"Stop!" the shout reverberated in my ears. I looked over at Pepper, who was half-crouched behind a table, looking at me.

The instant my gun fell from my hand, something hit my shoulder. A sharp pain. Nikki shouted my name. I fell back into Jacob's arms, and all I heard was him whisper. "Amiko..."

**_Raven_**

I looked up into Romeo's gaze. He had the gun trained on the group of women who'd been fighting his people. I put my hand over his and whispered, "Please...stop this."

"I'm sorry Raven...he needs me to bring you and your brother in" he said.

My hand trembled on his forearm as I whispered, "Please, let me do this, and you can take us. Just no more killing, please."

He nodded. I lay my hands over the girl's back, where she'd been shot. Slowly, the wound healed, until the bullet fell out. He took my arm and whispered, "Time to go."

I only nodded as he lifted my brother-and we were gone.

**_Chelsea_**

The moment the teleporter had the three of them taken away, Nikki sprinted over to Amiko. She scooped her up in her arms and sighed, "She's...god."

I wrapped my arms around Pepper and eased her off the floor. She looked at me and I nodded, "She's okay."

"What about those kids? Who were they?" Pepper asked.

"Romeo de la Rocca, the son of the rival Don. The girl was Raven Carlisle. She's...a difficult case" Nikki said.

"How so?" Chloe asked.

"She's not a mutant. She's a Fallen Angel incarnated in an eighteen year old girl's body. Romeo, is literally the Devil's Advocate-he's a living demon of Mephesto. But he doesn't know that" Nikki said softly, "He's not the one we have to worry about. He's as harmless as Mariko Yashida."

"Who do we have to worry about?" I asked.

"The Don and his mutant lackeys, for starters. And that Jacob boy, he's human. We have about six hours before he dies of blood loss, less if they start torturing him."

"Oh god" Pepper whispered, looking at her, "When will we go?"

"Now. I can't believe I'm saying this, but somebody find Don Morales; we're going to need some backup on this one."

**_Jacob_**

I blinked groggily, looking around my surroundings. Raven...

"Let go of her you bastard" I snarled weakly at Romeo. His arms were around my half-sister, shielding her thickly feathered, pretty black wings behind his back.

"Sorry Morales, but Dad's already got a deal with the Kingpin for you-now...he just needs Raven."

"For what?"

Raven's eyes widened as he said, "He's going to keep her as collateral. To stop the wars. To make sure he has a get out of jail free card with the government and an insurance policy on his head with your father." His hand rested on her back, and if I hadn't been tied down I would've lunged at him, "Stop touching her!"

"Would you rather it be my father than me? Leave it be Jacob, please. I'm going to take good care of her for you."

"How can I trust you?"

His expression changed as he looked at her. He touched her face, having her look at him as he said, "We're two of a kind."


	16. Issue 16

**Chapter 3**

**_Romeo_**

I barely had a plan, but it would be good enough. All I had to do was hope to god the superhero girls would come after us. I didn't bring Raven to the cage like I was told; I brought her out back, to the greenhouse. Jacob was going to be displayed before Kingpin via live feed, like he needed proof we could take down the Morales family.

Moonlight punctured between the leaves that scaled the stained glass that covered the room. She brushed through hibiscus, violets and the tip of her wing barely graced the bark of the hulking apple tree the dome was centered around. She looked at me with wide eyes, a light pink blush on her cheeks. I took her hands in mine and gazed into her eyes, "Raven, do you trust me?"

"I don't understand" she murmured. I saw tears prickling the corners of her beautifully made up eyes, and slowly stroked them away. My voice was soft as I whispered, "Raven, I love you."

Her eyes, the beautiful sapphire I'd known since we met six years ago, widened. My hand cradled her face as I said, "I need you to trust me, because I'm going to save your life."

"You need to save my brother too" she murmured.

"I will, I promise. But I promise you, Raven Carlisle, right here, right now, in the presence of Virgin Mary that I love you and I could never betray you." She glanced to the side, and then she noticed the statue, and probably that my words were true. She let the fresh, warm tears streak down her pretty face and she threw herself into my arms, sobbing, her wings feeling heavy. A sliver of moonlight fell upon us, and slowly, I felt it. A warm, burning sensation, like fire tingling up my back, from my shoulders down my arms, down my legs, all the way around my body. I felt the gentle extending, of my skin changing, of my body unfolding. My hair fell away from my face, my wings unfolding openly. I brushed my lips against her head as I whispered, "Be ready Raven-it's begun."

The sun roof unlatched, and slowly pulled aside. Moonlight cascaded down from the open dome through the tree's leaves. I took her hand and flew up, up, as quickly as possible. She and I didn't touch except for our hands-but I felt it. I was changing, and simply, I needed her to be safe before I could put myself in harm's way for her.

**_Chloe_**

Pure fucking adrenaline was coursing through my blood as we took off, charging out of the Hummer like bats out of hell. Nikki charged ahead, followed by Amiko and I. The kid had incredible prowess with a gun, I'd give her that. She was a big girl now, at least she knew how to defend herself.

Blood, skin, tissue, muscle, sinew...it felt so good on my claws again. I reveled in it, bathed in it, took the effects of Elizabeth Bathory to a new level. I sighed softly, enjoying the rush killing gave me.

I looked up, and grinned, "Nikki, go get the mob kid! Your demon did pretty good with his sister!"

She looked up, seeing Raven and Romeo, and Amiko leapt into action. She took off into the compound, shooting and killing as many people as she laid eyes on. Suddenly, a surge of pride overcame me, along with the bitter aftertaste of guilt. This kid didn't need to turn out like me-even though part of me, wrought with desperation, made me long to see in her what I saw in my daughter. The potential...the beauty...Erica.

I dropped my claws and went in after her. I blinked tears out of my eyes as I took out anyone who dared get near her. My daughter had been eleven years old when she was killed. She'd been innocent, sheltered, and had no chance to live yet. My daughter was my pride and joy, my reason for existing, and it was like I blinked and she was gone. I couldn't let that happen to Amiko.

She broke down the door and shouted, "Jacob!"

Guns were turned on her. I leapt in front of her, taking the shots for her. She killed everyone. Absolutely everyone. She raced to her boy, and I toppled over. I looked at her and said, "I'm proud o' you kid."

She looked back when she had Jacob cradled in her arms, drugged to the point of unconsiousness. She stroked his hair with gentleness that no one expected in a killer, and she said, "We're all proud of you Chloe. Thank you...especially for saving me."

I lay on the floor while my wounds healed, and I said quietly to her, "I wish I could hear my daughter say the same."


	17. Issue 17

**Chapter 4**

**_Amiko_**

My cheeks were flushed in an unfamiliar way as Jacob held my hands. His thumbs stroked over my knuckles as he said, for the umpteenth time, "Please stay with me."

After Raven's decision to join Romeo in the safety of Nation X, Jacob would be alone now in the safe house in Madrid. It was beautiful, with a lush vineyard all around the beautiful, castle like pueblo house. It was so luxurious and extravagant...and if I had to be honest with myself, he was exactly what I wanted. The sunset made his hair glitter and the tiny black cat, that he'd told me such a cute story about her being a witch's familiar, was purring on my feet. "Please Amiko. I'll do anything."

I couldn't bring myself to look back at him. He'd protected me, and I'd saved him, clearly something was going on between us. I forced myself to fall under the spell of his oceanic eyes, "I want to, believe me I do."

"Then stay. Please...just ask her. Just ask" he begged.

"You don't understand, Jacob. This is my place...with my family, with my team. I have a duty to the world to help protect it. I need to keep you and everybody else safe."

He held my face and whispered, "Then come back. Don't leave me here on my own."

"Come with me" I whispered, intoxicated by him entirely, "There are vineyards in California. There are places like this, and if there aren't, we can build one. We can start over, and leave all this here..."

He smiled, "I wish it were that simple. My father is still alive. He needs someone to defend this, a lacky-"

"and I can help you get out of it. Just trust me. Run away with me" I felt so confident, so strong right there in his arms I dreamed I'd never fail. I'd always be strong. He turned, and plucked a rose from the vine, handing it to me, "America may be different, but a year is nothing for a man in love. I will come with you, Amiko Koyobashi, if you will do me one solemn honor."

My heart was still skipping beats from the sudden delaration of love. I nodded.

He said quietly, "If you still love me in a year, marry me."

My head spun. I nodded. My vision hazed and he chuckled as I had to wipe my eyes. I muttered, "Two days and you want to marry me."

"Two days, and I have felt more than I have in my lifetime" he said quietly."I can wait for you."

I could only nod. I'd never dreamed...not in a million years...and then, he did what we'd never had time to do.

Like a prince upon his royal steed, he wrapped me in his arms, his gentleness beyond all conception as he kissed me; so long, so slow, so delicate that it killed me. But at least, now I could die happy.

**_Nikki_**

"Even though I don't remember, my era was probably nothing like that" Chelsea commented, and I laughed. Fine Spanish wine tingled on both of our tongues. I smiled, looking at the Casablanca romance unfolding, and I said, "It wasn't. I trust Amiko though, and she can figure out what she wants for herself."

My phone rang, and I smiled, standing and stepping away from the happy couple and my content friend as I answered, "Hello, just what I wanted."

"I missed you darlin" I heard Logan's voice say to me.

"I missed you too."

**X**


	18. Issue 18

**Iron Queen**

**_Chapter 1_**

_Pepper_

Today was the day. Tony was quiet, and I knew why. We were finally going to face the man who killed the woman Tony loved.

"Pepper?" he said quietly as we waited outside the courtroom.

"I know this is going to be hard. We have to try" I said, fixing his tie.

He shook his head, "I know you're on that little Team X team in Allison's armor."

I didn't pause in smoothing his collar, "Good. Because Nikki sends her condolences. She felt left out not knowing Allison had been killed." I tried not to mention her exact words, consisting of how she would've cooked Tony dinner every night until he felt well enough to get back to himself; and how she would've helped with all the work he needed done. It was one thing to be a superhero-turned-part-time-housewife but to let Tony know just how much time she really had on her hands. I didn't need Nikki killing him any time soon.

As soon as we entered, Tony stiffened.

"The case of the people versus Ezekiel "Zeke" Stane."

"Zeke. Just Zeke" the young man sitting in the defendant's chair said.

Notoriously, Tony's lawyers argued valiantly, but when he took the stand, I was genuinely surprised.

"Zeke, please tell the court how you plead."

With the spoiled air of a boy who always got what he wanted, he looked Tony in the eye and said, "Not guilty."

Tony leapt up, shouting, "Bullshit! You _killed_ her! You _deserve_ worse than prison, feel lucky you're up for that you spineless little-!"

"You wouldn't care about my justice if it weren't for _her,_ would you? What was her name...Alice? Amy?" Stane said.

I knew just by watching that Tony's fury was understandable...and masking the pain that was finally coming to the surface, "_ALLISON! _Her name was _Allison!_"

I stood and put my hands on Tony's shoulders, trying to get him to calm down. Very rarely in my life had I seen Tony Stark cry, but right now, it was like a replay of the night she died. He ignored me completely as he looked directly at Stane and told him the truth-truth I hadn't even heard from him, "She was everything to me. She and I had a future together. I didn't see anything else than that-because I've never seen a future with someone else like I did with her. You took her from me. For the longest time after she was gone, I considered so much. Poisoning, dying in battle like a soldier, but nothing...I couldn't force myself to _act_. Because if I slipped up one time...just once...I could be with her. I wouldn't have to deal with you."

I wrapped my arms around Tony and just hugged him.

He laughed. Something...different was stirring on the very surface of my consciousness. _The little bastard was laughing!_ I whipped around and shouted, "How _dare_ you laugh at that! Allison was all of our friend! You didn't know her! You don't know anything! You're a spoiled little _bastard_ who doesn't even know his _ass _from a hole in the ground!"

Tony looked shocked. I was shocked with myself too, to be honest, but in the back of my mind, it simply became the side effect of going out with the girls twice a week. They were just as crass and...who was I kidding, we had the best time in the world, even if they carried their husbands' dispositions.

"Strong words from a defenseless little girl" he said. There was a challenge there. I knew I was in danger, but I said it anyway.

"Who the hell are you calling defenseless?"

An outburst like that, and I still had some fire left. That wasn't how I was supposed to act...but somehow, that was just how it was going. He stood, and immediately armed guards were holding him back, "We'll see just how defenseless you are...Pepper Potts."

Tony pulled me back as they escorted him from the courtroom. The judge seemed more than a little shaken as she said, "Court's adjourned for today."

Tony escorted me from the room quickly, "That was incredible. Stupid, but incredible."

"I can't believe I just did that" I murmured.

"Do you know the bounty that kid is going to have on your head now?" he said, "It's actually rather heroic."

"I'm trying" I said.

He paused and said, "He's right, it's probably not safe for you with me. Get the armor and go somewhere I won't know where to find you."

"Is that an order, Mr. Stark?" I asked, a tiny smile tugging at my features.

He returned it, "That's an order, Miss Potts." A moment passed before he actually gave me a warm, uncharacteristic, hug, "Be careful Pepper."

"He'll have a lot more to worry about than his technology where I'll be."

"Sorry it's not big, it's decent for me" Chloe said as she lead me in. Weighed down with my armor and bags, I was surprised to find a one bedroom apartment the size of Tony's deck. Not bad, but not horrible.

"No it's okay, I can't thank you enough for letting me stay." I set down most of my things between the couch and corresponding table. The room had an air about it I was surprised was fitting Chloe. Away from her costume and the team, and even Nikki, she was a much different person than I expected. The room had paintings of Italy; the windows were cloaked with barely shielding gray draw-string curtains that fell vertically over the two large windows. They were rimmed with kohl colored drapes. The walls were a rich sage green, and the kitchen that attached to the room was the same mix of sage, black and silver. She picked up two of my bags and lead me down the small hallway. "You mind if I store these in here?" She tugged open the door in the wall and revealed a nice sized closet, consisting of two coats and an umbrella. There was a bare shelf, and she quickly loaded up the closet with my things before turning back to me. "That's the bathroom, and that's my room. You want me to cook or take out?"

"Whatever you feel like" I said. The image typically associated with Chloe cooking was one Logan had been talking about once, only slightly more comical. Once during his Team X days, he and Victor had caught and roasted a deer over an open fire. The image in my mind was similar, except instead of Victor and Logan, it was Victor's ex-wife.

Oddly, she smiled. Her fangs weren't that noticeable in her natural smile, "You like chicken?"

I nodded. Honestly, I was struggling with the notion Chloe was as normal as me. For the first time, I noticed her nails. They weren't black, like I imagined. Instead, her claws were filed to a perfect point and painted metallic blue. She had her hair up in a sleek runner's pony tail, and honestly, she looked like any woman who'd just come in from the San Francisco weather. She was dressed like me, in jeans and a modest tank top, though hers was for the Tampa Bay Rays and mine was simply plain white. I looked around, slightly nervous. She said from the kitchen, "Go on and explore, I know you're dying to."

I peeked in the bathroom. It looked...perfect. It was different than the rest of the house; this room looked like polished sandstone, in a light amber color. It was beautiful. She had a black, wrought iron-esque, basket of nail polish on the counter, with some other makeup in the other side. I couldn't help but walk in. It was incredibly clean, and incredibly organized. The mirror seemed to sparkle at me. I crossed the hall, and forced in a gasp as I looked in her room.

The bed was in a hollow cove in the center of the room. It wasn't an ordinary bed; it was a water bed. A couple lava lamps sat on tables on either side of the bed's cove, with an alarm clock on one. A set of stairs were carved into the floor, covered in rich, topaz plush carpet. I was...shocked. That wasn't what took me aback-it was the room itself. There was no other furniture in the room-simply paintings on every surface of the ceiling and walls. A beautiful depiction of the stars covered the ceiling-Orion's belt, the dippers, even the constellation of Libra. The walls around were shocking, because they were perfect. Professional. It was Africa at night. Lions lay together in a pride on one wall. On the other, Zebras gazed at the full moon while a bird in a tree preened its feathers. I stared, transfixed. I felt like I was there, breathing in the thick, hot night air...even if it was only the difference in heat between New York and San Francisco.

"It took me the past year. I just finished two weeks ago" she said.

I jumped at her voice and turned to look at her, "It's spectacular."

"Sorry I startled you. Dinner's done."

I followed her out and looked at her as we took a seat on the couch in front of the wall-mounted flat screen. I broke the ice after a few silent moments. "Wanna know how I almost got myself killed today?"

She laughed, "You told Nikki and Nikki told me. I guess it's about time you went back to church school and stopped hanging out with the big girls."

Her smile was feral, so the words burst out and I regretted them the minute I said them. "It's hard for me to think of you being this normal."

She stiffened up and didn't look at me. She said, "I know. You're the first person I've let in...in a very long time."

I put my head in my hands and said, "Please ignore me. I've been messing up all day. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Her hand touched my shoulder, "It's okay. I know. Go ahead and rest Pepper, I know you've had a long day...I'll see you in the morning."

I sighed as I looked after her. After a while, I got ready for bed, still regretting everything I'd done.

I wasn't sure why I was awake, but a foreboding sense of danger enveloped me. I got up, going toward the closet to grab my armor. It was light enough not to stumble along through the darkness...it must be a full moon.

A shout, almost pained, came from Chloe's room. I cracked open the door to see her laying in bed, peacefully, except for the way she clutched her pillow. Her claws weren't ripping into it like I expected.

"Victor!" she called out, and then her claws pierced the weak down. "Victor...please..."

I ran in, feathers starting to fill the air like fluffy snow. If I touched her, she could impale me. So, rather childish, I did the only thing I could. I threw a slipper at her.

She started awake like she was expecting someone to attack her; like I'd been told most ferals in the throes of nightmares did. She looked at me, and her expression softened. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes...and fangs and claws aside, she was at the most human I'd ever see her. I rushed to her side, knowing she needed the comfort, as she burst into tears. Gingerly, my hands rested on her arms. I leaned into her, my mind still not catching up to my body.

"I'm sorry...I still love him...I'm so scared" she said quietly.

"Of what?" I asked.

It took her a moment before she whispered, "I'm scared of losing Victor for good."


	19. Issue 19

**Narutokid239- I'd be honored! I'll look you up and do so as soon as I can! Thanks for the feedback!**

**Chapter 2**

_**Nikki**_

"Hello _mami_" Lester said, slinging his arm over my shoulders.

He grinned in my face and I shook my head, "Somebody got laid last night huh?"

He blushed and Daken tugged him away, "Did you forget our little bet?"

"I'm just looking at an angel...she got that whole place glowing!" Lester said with laughter. I shook my head yet again as the boys kissed against the ice box.

Laura and Kyle walked in hand in hand, and Kyle saluted with his baseball cap, "Missus Howlett."

"Hi Kyle" I said, putting out food for them. He turned around the Toronto 'Jays cap and dug right in. I smiled, then glanced to the boys, "Daken, go do something a little more productive and get your brother, it's time for lunch."

He went upstairs, leaving Lester looking after him. I glanced over to him and said, "I've never really seen that look on anybody but myself in the mirror."

He didn't speak for a moment before he said, "I've never loved anybody but him."

"Good, so I don't need to tell you not to break his heart. And I assume I won't have to tell him."

"Third time's the charm."

"I hope."

He looked at me and said, "You're his best friend...be honest with me. Has he ever been this happy with a girl?"

I took a moment and sighed, "He was pretty happy with Rachel, and a little happier with Claudine...but no, I've never seen him this in love with someone before."

The silence shifted uncomfortably as he asked, "Was he this in love with you?"

Kyle actually stopped eating. He glanced between us and said, "You and Daken?..._How?_"

I shrugged, "He and I started off best friends. We just had a dynamic. We're closer than most couples, that was why the whole sexual tension thing really didn't work out."

"Am I the only superhero in the history of the world that has only gotten laid twice?" Kyle asked.

I was somewhere between dying laughing and breaking down into tears. I turned back to him, "Probably."

He turned bright red, "Don't tell anyone I just said that."

I put the bowl in the sink and sat down across from him. "You wanna know a secret?"

He looked at me with anticipation.

I felt my own blushing start as I said, "I didn't lose my virginity until I was twenty."

"Holy shit. _You?_ But you're..." He looked at Laura and gave her puppy eyes. She just shook her head, "Say it." "You're incredibly fucking _sexy._ How didn't you have guys going for you left and right?"

"Oh I did...but I was young and idealistic. I wanted true love. Little did I know I'd be over a century old before I probably should've given it up to my first crush in retrospect, but that's beside the point" I said.

"You never told me about your first crush" Laura said.

"He was my bodyguard, Dimitri, and lord was he gorgeous. I'd get up early in the morning to watch him practice on the lawn. He had the effect he had on me on all the girls, but none of the other girls were tucked under his arm nineteen out of the twenty four hours of the day" I said.

"What did he look like? What was he like?" Laura asked eagerly.

"Strong. Lean muscled, but not scrawny. He was Russian, and he had this accent...I always thought the Romanian schoolboys that sometimes came up by the castle had gorgeous voices, but Dimka's made me weak. He said my name like it was a sin. I loved it!"

"Oh my god. Do you still remember it?"

"Of course! He always used to call me Lightning-in Russian of course."

"What happened to him?"

"He's still around...I just haven't seen him since I had to run away."

"Oh" Laura sighed, "That's so romantic!"

"Not as romantic as it's gotten" I said with a laugh.

"Really?" Lester pitched in, "So what's the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you?"

"I'm so biased, but the night Logan and I met...every other guy in the room was crass and loud and rude, but Logan strode right up to me and said, 'What's a girl like you doing in a hole in the wall like this one, and what's it gonna take to get you outta here?'"

"That's romantic? That's about as romantic as a married couple having sex" Lester said.

"We're still romantic, and we've been married for ten years" I said.

"You're not human, thank god" Lester said.

"Cover your ears kids, Nikki's talking about romance!" Daken shouted.

"I don't even wanna think about girls right now" Vincent said as he scooted in next to Kyle.

"Girl trouble?" Kyle asked.

"Like I said, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Vincent's got a girlllllfrieeeend" Tayla cooed, beaming at her brother, "And she's too busy to call him back."

"Tough love kid, that's how girls do it" Kyle said, before he returned to eating.

**_Pepper_**

My face felt hot when I woke; and I realized Chloe had drawn back the blinds and piercingly warm California sunshine was covering me entirely. I heard muted voices...and then I distinguished them as Chloe and Victor. Of course I'd heard the stories about Sabretooth, so I did my best to sit still and listen.

"Bullshit. I smell fear all over you. Talk to me" he said. His voice was very gentle, despite being deep and rough like Logan's. I heard a sound...purring?

Chloe sighed, "I just missed you Tomcat. I...had one of the dreams again."

"You're safe. It's different here now, I promise" he said quietly. I sat up and looked over to see Chloe frying bacon in a skillet while Victor's claws stroked back her hair. Honestly, despite how kind he was acting, the man was instantly intimidating. He was _huge._ I could see why he was such a difficult adversary for Logan.

"Nothin' t' be afraid of" he said, in a louder tone. I realized he was talking to me, and scooted into a sitting position. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"You do that a lot" Chloe commented, "The snooping thing. I see why Stark hired you." The smile on her face was a little wicked. I knew instantly it was payback for last night.

"Well played."  
"I know."

Sabretooth looked me over, "She's no threat to you kitten."

"I know. But that was payback" she said, purring as she kissed his scruffy jaw. They reminded me of Nikki and Logan, but...more violent of a love.

"Aw gosh Vic, look at her! She's like a little Christian schoolgirl! She turned red as a tomato!"

I blushed deeper and looked to the floor. Victor laughed a deep, rumbling laugh and said, "Sit down and have your relaxation doll, I'll take care of it."

I sat down across from Chloe, and in my embarrassment, I actually let Victor Creed cook breakfast.


	20. Issue 20

**Chapter 3**

Ragged breaths were ripping from the prostitute's lips. She stumbled in her heels through the alley, her mascara stained tears leaving black streaks down her face. Her back flared with pain and she fell, finding herself unable to move. "Oh god, please, please don't."

A low growl echoed through the alley, and if she hadn't known better, she would've thought she was being cornered by a lion.

Her scream echoed through the night.

**_Chelsea_**

"Well this is disgusting" I commented, seeing the blood (and other bodily fluid) splatter across the wall. I looked at the brick and shrieked, "EWWWW EYE JELLY!"

A cop retched and threw up around the other corner of the building.

Pepper scrunched her nose, turning away, "I can't look at this."

"Yep, that's definitely eye jelly."

I turned around and saw Wade. A grin broke across my face as I ran over to where he stood on the sidewalk and jumped on him. He caught me, grinning, and said, "You want me!"

I laughed, letting him put me down, "Of course! Nobody looks better than a man in uniform." I winked and nudged him. He smiled through his mask and looked at the scene, "Well it seems like there was a whole lotta panting and screaming going on."

"And apparently a whole lot of stabbing and biting too" I said.

Pepper turned green, "Please stop."

"It's okay, if you chuck, I'll hold your hair" Wade said, "Ooh, I see skiiiiiin."

I yanked the edge of my tank top down and looked at him, "Sorry."

He was going to say something, but uncharacteristically frowned. He turned back to Pepper, "Well come on girls, there's no reason ladies have to be around such a gory crime scene." He put one arm around me and one around her and said, "So how about some tacos? I promise we won't go to the place that probably stole a few parts before the cops showed up."

Then Pepper ducked behind the building and lost it.

Wade and Maria sat across the table from us, and a very large part of me was filled with jealousy. Maria was bouncing their happy baby girl on her knee. The baby was a little over a year old, and so pretty. She looked just like Wade...with a little bit of Maria thrown in.

Wade fed her, making goofy (and rather cute) airplane noises. Pepper leaned into the window with a glass of ginger ale before her and nothing more. It was just Burger King, but she wasn't in the mood.

"You seem like a nice girl Chelsea" Maria said.

"Appearances are deceiving" I said with a huge smile.

Wade looked at her and said, "I like her."

Maria shook her head. They were so happy together...

"I need to get back soon" Pepper said. I think she knew how uncomfortable I was around all of them. So I nodded, and we got up to part ways. Maria drove us home.

I instantly went to my room on Nation X and got changed. I stared at myself in the mirror. I wasn't bad looking from my collarbone up; but below, rough, jagged scars covered every visible surface of my skin, layer upon layer. I wrapped my arms around myself. My hands were cold.

"You're beautiful."

I whipped around, gasping, "Wade?"

He walked in and moved my hair off my shoulder, unfolding my arms. He looked at me, "Never hide yourself because of this...because you are beautiful. You're incredibly nice and funny, and from the chest up, no one can tell. You should never have to hide just because of this. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

I looked down, "Problem is, the one I want can't see what he means to me."

Wade pulled me into this giant hug, and I was so sure he got it...until he ruined it. "You'll get him." I wanted to scream at him. To rip off his mask and show him. Instead, I took what I got, even though inside I was screaming, crying, and in total hysterics. _You utterly moronic, sweet, lighthearted fucking fool...I'm in love with you._

**_Chloe_**

Pepper barely ate, not bothering to talk about the crime scene, and went straight to bed. I lay in mine, listening to the quiet shifting of the water under my body. I wanted Victor's purr. I missed the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck. I missed the feeling of his arms around me. Slowly, my barely-conscious mind registered something. Blood, disgusting, drug-scented blood; Dirt, rich, mountain dirt; and...Victor.

My eyes flew open. I sat straight up in bed, looking directly at the door. Those weren't the amber eyes I knew; they were hard and cold like topaz.

"Victor?" I whispered.

Animalistically, he lunged.


	21. Issue 21

**Chapter 4**

**_Nikki_**

Pepper had seen a helluva war zone herself, and fear was pouring off her like she'd never felt anything else. Her mind must've been numb, entirely. I yanked her toward the island, pushing her to keep going. She was barely keeping up with me, and I knew she must've been exhausted, but Chloe handled him well. She'd had him on his brainwashed ass by the time we were out of the building, but that didn't stop Victor. Honestly, I don't think anything had ever stopped Victor except being dead for a while. I could still smell him, practically still feel him in the air. I shoved her inside, and the X-Men were instantly there to envelope her. Pete covered the door while Logan and I got Pepper into the danger room. Jubilee, Pixie and Rockslide had the door. Everybody else was spread out around the mansion, just in case...because there was always a possibility...that Pepper may not be the intended target.

The sounds of battle were harsh and intense. The scent of the blood of my friends was almost too much to process at once. Victor tore the door apart, and Logan lunged. He was first defense, I was the follow-up. We had this planned from the start. What we hadn't counted on was that he might be stronger.

He slammed him into the wall and slashed the back of his neck. He fell to the floor, looking at us in almost utter terror. I looked at him, my jaw slack, and I leapt into action. Each stab was blocked. He trapped my claws through his hands and closed his hands around my fists. He growled and threw me into the wall. My head exploded into sparks, and I felt his claws tearing into my shoulder, ripping me apart. For Logan's sake, I reminded myself I'd felt worse and remained silent. My claws went for his family jewels and he grabbed my throat in his hand, lifting me off the floor and slamming me into the wall before I had time to fully extend my claws.

I planted my feet on his chest, pushing, choking. He held me there until my vision was hazy before letting me fall. The doors slammed shut. I looked up to see Prodigy at the controls.

Victor left me where I was and grabbed Pepper, "Do anything else and she dies."

I looked at him with the authority he didn't have, and I watched as he regretfully backed away. He had to; I didn't need Victor living with a kid's body on his conscience when he came to. I rushed him and was thrown off like a bug. He turned, leering at me with a fanged smile, "Looks like you want your turn, huh darlin?"

"You can't do much to kill me, remember?" I picked myself up to go again. With Logan out of commision for now, I had to keep him occupied until backup arrived.

"I never said anything about killing you" he snarled.

My claws were fully extended, and I lowered into an attack stance, "You got that chance once Creed, you'll never have it again."

"On the contrary, I do now." He stalked toward me, throwing Pepper aside. I saw Logan's expression, pure fury, but his eyes had a tint of terror. I faced Victor Creed in my dreams for the first eight years of my son's life, I dealt with the pain, the anger, the fear, and I'd overcome it. He could do whatever he wanted, because I would never let him win.

He attacked, swift as a wind. I parried, stabbing him in his already slashed-open side and dragging it. He picked me up, throwing me into the wall. A typical attack. I slid between his legs and stabbed him in his back. He fell back and I gasped under his crushing weight. Slowly, I withdrew my claws, and he turned.

His hair fell in a curtian around our faces, his lips were streaked with his blood. His eyes burned like topaz coals, and I felt his sharp talons drag down my hip so familiarly.

"Give in to me, and I let you all walk away" he growled.

"Who did this to you?" I whispered.

"The Stane kid."

"Figures."

"Give in." He purred, and his fangs grazed my lips. His hot breath fanned over my face. Part of me knew that even if I didn't, the fight would be over. I could either put an insurance policy on everyone's lives, or I could risk it all and hope Emma got her team here in time. My heart pounded with exhiliration. I looked at Victor. It would be so easy to stab him through the skull and fix him, but if it didn't, we'd all be dead. He'd slaughter us before we had the chance to fight back. Logan growled, probably the only sound he could make yet. I closed my eyes, and nodded, "This better be a deal you hold your end to."

He chuckled, "Darlin', in the end it had nothing to do with her. I knew she'd lead me right back to you."

"Careful, I can still give you a free sex change."

"But you won't," that fucking smile, where he knew he was right in everything he said, pissed me off something fierce, "because you'd rather be the martyr and save everyone's lives than admit to yourself that you just couldn't face your fears." His claws dug into my hips, and I wanted to let loose a growl, but held it back. I looked directly into his eyes and said, "I got over being afraid of you long ago."

"Then I'm sure you won't be having nightmares about this one."

Part of me knew fighting Victor was like fighting a fire with no hose; that was the part that didn't care whether I lived or died, as long as I fought like a hero, then there was the part that knew Victor as a man; that knew there was something sexy about a creature like him; and that was the part that didn't care if I won right now. I wished I could've hated myself, but I couldn't, because no matter how stupid I was, no one else would. Victor was a lying, cunning, manipulative bastard, but when he kissed me it was nothing like I remembered. When his claws traced down the front of my uniform, I shivered. When Victor Creed laughed, I growled and kissed the bastard back. As much as I _wanted_ to hate myself, I couldn't.

Because I was a fucking fool for trying to ignore the attraction to his body that I felt, even if his personality was about as sweet as a cactus under foot. So I let the bastard win, because the Victor I knew now...wasn't this.

He didn't hurt me this time-at least, he didn't mean to, and I was too caught up to care. He placed me on the floor, and then I felt it. Shockwaves of pain. It hit so hard I couldn't move. I looked at him as he moved away, and though most of me was physically ripped apart, inside, I felt like I officially had scored as much as Emma.

Logan could barely shift, with his healing factor so slowed down now, but he grasped my hand and I grasped his. Guilt-pure, hot guilt, washed over me from the inside out. I was selfish from the inside out. I didn't deserve him. Not in the slightest. But his thumb stroked slowly over my knuckles, whispering, "I love you."

A single, warm tear ran down my cheek and I squeezed his hand, whispering back, "I don't deserve it, but I love you too."

Vic had barreled to the surface, and I could hear the sounds of every mutant on Nation X gearing up for battle.


	22. Issue 22

**Chapter 5**

**_Romeo_**

The big man was making toward us. He wasn't killing, but definitely incapacitating. I pushed Raven behind me, and my body shook...then, I felt it.

Wings-ten foot white wings-expanded from my back. My vision darkened, and improved. Then, the sword formed in my hands. It was the stuff of myth...the Soulsword.

I let out a battle roar as I leapt at him. My wings sliced through the air with my sword, and I was so close to his face...I had to use the sword to block his hit. He was _fast_ and I wasn't good enough. I had to defend myself, blow after blow. He held me back, and instantly, I was gripped by panic..."RAVEN, RUN!"

**_Raven_**

I gasped as Sabretooth put his hand fully around Romeo's head and slammed him into the ground. I heard the crunching of bone, and tears pricked my eyes. I wasn't even aware I'd cried out for him. He pressed his claw near Romeo's eye and his hand on his jaw, and something snapped inside me.

I leapt at him, and my wings made me fly. I tackled him into the ground, then flew him into the air. I threw him down, and dove.

I looked at Romeo, motionless, his body so weak...I slammed into Sabretooth, driving him into the dirt, before scooping him up and once I was over the ground, I let him go and flew back toward Romeo.

"Romeo! Romeo!" I shouted as I descended to his side. His head lay in a puddle of his own blood. I didn't know if I could feel anything as I touched his chest. "No" I whispered. His eyes were blessedly closed, his face showed no fear or pain, but I couldn't bear the weight of my own. My chest was crushed at the thought of Romeo being dead. The boy I'd hated a little more than a month ago was my only hope, my savior, and my only connection to the life I once had. Tears were falling from my eyes as I pushed on his chest, trying to get his heart pumping, "Romeo please! Please wake up!" A sob ripped from my throat, "PLEASE! Romeo _please!"_ I stopped. Nothing was happening. I cradled his head in my hands and lifted him, looking at his face. I knew Sabretooth was approaching us, but still...I cried. I cradled his beautiful face in my hands and I murmured, "Romeo please...I need you. Please. I love you."

I wished it were the kind of miracle from a movie, where he woke and professed his love to me. But I cried over his body, clutching him. I knew Sabretooth was close-close enough to kill us. Then...

My miracle happened.

"Raven, move" Romeo ordered. I looked at him in utter shock, and he pushed me back as Sabretooth swiped. His sword cut him across the stomach. I followed him, flying into the air and coming to his side, yanking Sabretooth up. He drove his sword through his chest, and I let him fall.

Romeo and I touched down next to each other, just as he woke. He looked shocked and backed away from us, "...the fuck just happened?"

I held Romeo back, and his hand wrapped around my wrist in such a gentle way. My face turned a shade of pink as I murmured, "He's okay. He wasn't himself."

"I know that. Still...I don't trust it" Romeo said. I let him hold my wrist, then his hand went to cradle mine. His voice was soft as he said, "You said you love me."

My face turned two deeper shades of pink, "I do. I love you."

His eyes softened and he sheathed the sword near his belt, "Tis the East, and Raven is the sun."

"Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name and I shall be new baptized" I said quietly as he brought me closer. My heart was fluttering like a humming bird's wings in my chest as his lips lowered to mine, "I need something in return...the exchange of love's faithful vow for mine."

and slowly, gently, and passionately, he kissed me.

He cradled me close in his arms as we broke apart. My head spun, but my wings were expanded fully...and my wing touched his. I felt like a bird, so free and strong, now that I knew...My face turned a bright shade of red as I said to him, "I...really should make sure everyone's alright..."

"Do that" he murmured, releasing me. I scuttled off, but turned back.

On his back, there was a lone black feather.

**_Chloe_**

Victor was laying in the cell when I arrived. He glanced over, his amber eyes regretful, "They don't trust me, why should you?"

"Because I knew you were brainwashed. You told me." I leaned on the bars and said to him, quietly, "You had no idea the kid would do that to you. You're a fool, but you're my fool. I don't care if they don't trust you, I loved you when you were a sociopathic maniac like that."

He got up and went to me. His hands closed over mine. "What I did was inexcusable."

"What you did, Nikki has forgiven you for, Logan is pissed as usual but you haven't been allowed in his house for...how many months now? It's like nothing ever happened."

He shook his head, "They'll want me gone. Kitten won't be able to forgive this."

"Even if they do...I'll take you in. I trust you."

His fingers stroked over mine as he said, "I couldn't put you in danger like that."

I shook my head, "You haven't."

After a long while, he spoke, "Do you want to know what kills me the most?"

I looked up.

"I will never see my son again."

I realized with certainty Logan had been here first. "What did he say?"

"He told me just that-I'd never see my son again. You don't know what that feels like to me...besides you and Kitten, I've lost everything, all cause I screwed up trying to help some kid."

I reached through the bars and locked my fingers through his, "We'll deal with this together tomcat...I promise."

**X**


	23. Issue 23

**Hai Otousan**

The day was beautiful and bright, and so far, nothing had been amiss. Kyle and Laura sat on the small pier in the Howlett estate's pond, dipping their toes in the water.

"How is she?" Kyle asked, looking down. His shirt was discarded on a post along with his rucksack, the one Laura got him for his last birthday. His jeans were rolled up in cuffs at his knee, and occasionally a breeze ruffled his sun-kissed golden hair.

"She's fine. After she healed up, there wasn't anything wrong. Vincent's pissed, of course, and so is Logan, but...we kept Tayla out of it." Laura shrugged. Her hair ruffled in the breeze, her yellow sleeveless shirt complemented her pale skin, making her look sunny, and her stonewashed shorts clung to her legs. She looked at him under her hair, "I don't know why you insist on me dressing like this."

"I want you to be comfortable. You're beautiful" he said, taking her hand over the smooth, water eroded wood.

"I don't feel beautiful" she said, "I still have a hard time feeling...real."

He moved to hold her cheek, looking in her eyes, and he said, "I have never seen a more beautiful girl as long as I've lived."

She blushed, her eyes lowering, "I wish I could believe you."

"You know I'm not lying" he said quietly, "and you know I'll be here until the day I die."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't."

The fish in the pond didn't mind the intrusive limbs, rather swimming around them. They sat in silence for a long time, simply holding hands, until Laura broke the silence, "Will you stay over tonight?"

He glanced over, "I don't know if that's such a good idea. Logan will kill me if...y'know..."

"I don't care" she said. She looked intently at the fish as she continued. "It makes me...uncomfortable...to be away from you. I don't feel...real. I feel like I used to."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, moving a bit closer, "I'll move into the city. I'll use my cash and buy a place, and if you need me I'll be close."

"Move in" she said quietly, "Please. Logan won't mind."

"Sure he won't. I'll be living in the garage like George Lopez."

She laughed, and he smiled. "Please?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Make sure he knows this was your idea."

"Put on your shirt" she said as she sprung out of the water. Kyle looked down at the startled fish and sighed in agreement, slowly lifting his feet and climbing out.

Elie's eyes were wide, "Are you sure?"

"Fourth time, and unless the whole thing is defective, yeah, I'm sure" Nikki said. There was a hint of panic in her voice.

"When did you and Logan last...?"

"Two weeks ago."

Elie actually looked more shocked, "Legit? Are you two actually acting like a married couple now?"

"Oh for god's sake El, the sex is still great, but we're both working now, and the kids, and the house, and we're barely having time for social lives, so...it just is." The faucet was running, and Elie heard a telltale sniff. Once it turned off and the door opened, Elie hugged her sister tightly, "Don't be scared."

"I am. I can't help it. I...I don't know what to do."

"You don't know for sure though...there's still a chance it's not..."

"This is different. When Vincent happened, Victor and Chloe were my enemies, but now they're my friends, and Kitten's my _goddaughter_ El, and if I have to tell them...Victor will be the only one who won't feel betrayed."

"That was his fault, and Logan won't care" Elie said, sitting down on the bed with her sister, "He loves you. I promise Nik...he won't care. He loves Vincent, you see that. He loves Vince like his own son. He knows you did what you had to do to keep everybody alive."

Nikki looked at her, blocking out the terror, "I know."

"Dad?"

Logan knew that was a bad thing. Especially when Laura was calling him Dad.

He looked away from the game to see Kyle and Laura taking seats nearby.

"Do I have to kill him?" Logan growled.

"No" Laura said. She took a breath of hesitation, and he smelled a little fear in her scent.

"Laura, go on" Logan urged.

"I want Kyle to move in."

Logan's shoulders relaxed, "Fine. He can move in."

Laura looked shocked, "Really?"

"Kid, I was afraid you were going to ask to join up with X-Force again. If him being here makes you happy, then he can move in."

Laura's shoulders relaxed instantly and she jumped up, hugging Logan, "Thank you. So much."

He whispered to her so only she could hear, "Go on kid, have fun."

She ran back to Kyle and yanked him up the stairs.

Just as Logan turned back to the game, his phone rang. He looked at the screen. Summers. To answer, or to ignore?...he sighed and answered.

"Summers the Leafs are down by five and the game is halfway in, can this wait?"

Pandemonium in the background. Summers yelled, "Can you tell?"

Logan sighed, "Brief me."

"A mutant developed the ability to turn into a power absorbing creature. She currently has Rogue trapped."

"How the hell did she get Rogue?" Logan asked, going to the stairs and shouting up, "About to head out, who's coming?"

Daken and Lester appeared at the top of the stairs, "Nikki's with Elie, so we're in."

"She...ate her."

"What?" Logan said, "She _ate_ Rogue?"

"Come find out." Summers hung up, leaving Logan to deal with the two.

Lester followed them and asked, "...Did someone seriously eat Rogue?"

"Mutant turned into a power absorbing creature and ate her. So I'd guess this is a big problem."

Logan put the quinjet on autopilot as Logan suited up in back. Bullseye grabbed his gear and pulled on his mask-simply all he needed. Daken simply sat, amused, as they approached the landing site. He looked out the window and called, "Logan? I wouldn't call this a small problem, but it's...not as big as Mothra."

A monster, about the size of a house, was tearing through downtown San Francisco.

They sprung into action the moment they touched down. Daken and Logan attacked from either side. When it took attention, Daken stepped back, "Shit..."

The monster's tail lifted, and Rogue tumbled away from it. Bullseye looked disgusted, "Literally."

"Ah feel dirty" Rogue muttered as she lifted herself up.

"There's no way in hell I'm ending up monster excrement today" Daken snarled, digging his claws into the creature's leg and climbing up. It beat at him with its tail wildly.

"Daken-get off!" Summers shouted, his hand on his visor.

Logan looked between his teammate and his son, and decided Daken was right. There was too much risk being put in something ten times the size of Predator X and twice as deadly. He tackled Summers, and let Daken stab it through the throat.

Daken leapt off as it fell, landing near Lester. "I'm sorry you were rendered unnecessary."

He smirked, "I'd rather see you in action anyway."

Cyclops's visor glinted as Daken's lips pressed lightly to his lover's.

"Deal with it Summers. He did what he needed to do."

"When will you do what you need to do Logan?"

Logan chuckled and cast a glance over his shoulder, "Really now Summers. You're going to criticize me...when you couldn't even keep Jeannie happy?"

Before Summers had time to react, they were back in their quinjet...and everyone was applauding Logan.

"This is unreal" Kyle said, resting his suitcase on his new bed. He pulled out stacks of tee shirts and put them away in the dresser, as well as stacks of his jeans. He hung his guitar case in the closet, and put away boxes of his things on the shelf. "Your family is incredibly cool."

Laura wrapped her arms around him from behind, closing her eyes. She whispered into his shoulder, "Can I tell you something I've never been able to say before?"

"Always" he said quietly.

"I love you."

He smiled and turned, bringing her into his arms and kissing her forehead lightly, "I love you too."

Daken and Lester headed into the kitchen as Logan walked to the stairs. He shouldn't have been surprised by Nikki sitting there, but he was.

"Hey darlin...what's wrong?"

She looked at him, and took a breath, "I don't know whether to be scared or happy yet."

"About what?" he asked. He took notice, and before he could say, she stood. She leaned on the railing and looked to the floor, "I'm pregnant...and I don't know if it's yours or Victor's."

**X**

_Author's Note-the title is literally translated to Yes Father, which is symbolic, and not in an obvious way, just like many of my other titles._


	24. Issue 24

**The Black Mamba  
**  
Why was I surprised? It was "Good" Friday, and I was supposed to have the day off. While Nikki would be at home decorating Easter eggs with Tayla, I was out with the prince of pains in the ass, Namor.  
"There are things I never told you" he said.  
I rolled my eyes, "If you're about to hit on me, don't. It's not a good day."  
"Do you remember Amir?" Of course I did. The Atlantian woman that I'd once fallen for-and just after, she'd been killed by part of my soul. Namor took my silence for what it was and said, "Amir had a son."  
"And what does this have to do with me?" Shit don't be another one...  
"He idolized you, so naturally, when your ex wife came along, he went with her."  
"Ex wife?" I asked.  
"Viper. You see, Amir had a son with a mutant, but we don't know who. I'm sure it wasn't you. He's fifteen. I'm his godfather, you see...he went with Viper believing she would lead him to you, and was captured by Hydra, most likely as her revenge on you. He recently attacked us on Nation X, and he's changed."  
"How so?"  
"He has tattoos."  
"He's a teenager, they do that."  
"They're electric blue, they look like eels. They glow, like his eyes. They're the same color. He's been trained by her."  
"Alright."  
"He calls himself Black Mamba."  
I nodded, "Heard worse."  
"You're not worried?"  
"Why should I be? He's a kid. Give me ten minutes."  
"Please don't kill him."  
I glanced at him, "I wouldn't dream of it."

The Hydra compound was familiar; apparently Viper'd never changed.  
"Wolverine."  
I turned, and of course, there was the kid. He looked surprised, and he matched how Namor'd described him. He reminded me oddly of Bobby...

"I'm sorry...I would've waited for you but I didn't know..."

"Waited on what?"

The poor kid looked terrified as he let me go the way he'd just come-to find Viper's body on the tile. I looked back at him. The kid had his head hung in shame. This was his first kill, of course he was ashamed of himself.

"Looks like you took care of it for me."

He turned a shade of pink most boys didn't get. I chose to ignore it. He didn't move or speak, so I gave the kid a pat on the back and said, "C'mon, let's get you outta here."

As far as Namor let on, the kid was welcome back in Atlantis. He'd be considered a hero, but I was sure as far as the kid was considered, I was sure this was one of those things he'd never be able to forget.

Before Namor left with him, I said, "You got a name kid?"

"...Glenn Viper."

"If you ever think of joining up, we'll be here."

He nodded as he disappeared into the water, "I know."

I hadn't missed too much when I got home. Most of Tayla's eggs were pink-go figure. Nikki was sitting on the couch with her laptop and one of those music channels on. I leaned over and gave her a kiss, "How was it?"

"Laura took over after the first three eggs, and Daken's making dinner. I called Carlisle, he's going to come up Sunday and do his doctoring thing."

I rubbed her shoulders, watching her lean back and smile. I scooped her up and lay her on my lap, cradling her against my chest. She pressed a gentle kiss to my jaw and I sighed, "Don't get stressed out darlin, it's about as effective as crying over spilled milk."

She laughed softly, "I know."

"You ever think about what'll happen when we get old?"

Her smile filled with mischief, "Don't even remind me how bad Stark's going to fuck up the next generation for us."

**X**


	25. Issue 25

**Kaachan**

_Chapter 1_

I was sure a simple trip to Nation X wouldn't cause any major trouble. Sure Daken might try to kill Scott again, but then again, the bastard had died several times over, just like his ex-wife. I was sure he'd be fine. Naturally, I was panicked as hell when Hank called me and said Daken had gotten effected by a new mutant's powers.

I just never expected this.

He was sitting on the table, swinging his feet...and he was about Vincent's age.

"Oh my god" I whispered, looking at him, "He's a kid? This is what you meant?"

"He doesn't remember anything. At all. He knows Logan's his father, therefore he assumes you're his mother."

Something clicked, right where I needed it to. Nothing had changed. Even if his age had, he was my son, even if he didn't have my blood. I love him. I didn't need Hank to say another word.

I walked right in, and his face brightened instantly. He was so small, so scrawny, and he looked totally innocent and defenseless.

"Kaachan!" he shouted. Mother. The casual Japanese way to say mother, anyway. I wrapped my arms so tightly around his tiny body. He was so light I could pick him up. He had this giant, beautiful, beaming smile. For a moment, I wondered if this was how normal kids acted. I found myself smiling every moment as I asked, "Are you hungry _ai?_"

He nodded, "I am."

"Let's get you home" I murmured, my fingers running through his soft hair.

"What's your name?" Hank asked over my head.

That pretty, pearly white smile broke my heart, "Akihiro."

"_Aishi te i masu"_ he said, swinging his feet at the kitchen table.

I beamed as I turned to him, the sweet scent of cooking fish filling the whole room. I held his tiny face in my hands, "_Watashi wa hijō ni anata wo aishi_."

I couldn't help but smile as he batted his lashes, "Can I have another cookie?"

"I'd love to get you one" I said. This was so...right. This was the way his life was supposed to be when he was young. Mixing cultures, mixing life, having seafood and chocolate chip cookies, speaking in Japanese and English.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

I set a saucer of cookies in front of him, "No. Go play, okay my love?"

He looked at me, "Really?"

"Go play" I murmured, kissing his forehead.

He got up and scurried off, clutching his plate of cookies to his chest like they were salvation.

"So Hank was serious" Logan said. I smiled to him, beckoning him over for a kiss, "That he was. But you don't know how perfect this is. He's our son. He's perfect." My eyes felt like they were glowing. "This is exactly how he should've grown up Logan, with his loving family, all the sweets he could eat, all the mixed culture to make him know, just know, how much we love him. Nobody will ever mess with our son again."

Logan shook his head, "And if he stays this way? Are you going to raise him all over again?"

I looked at him, "Yes, actually, I will. He deserves this Logan...he deserves everything he didn't have. I want him to know what it's like to have his mother hold him when he's sleepy, and read to him at night, and clean and kiss his scrapes."

"He had that" Logan said.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "Do I sense jealousy of a ten year old boy?"

He sighed, and then a smile broke out on his face, "I hope you know what you're doing."

I gave him a long, gentle kiss and said, "I've had kids Logan, I think I do by now." I glanced out, seeing him sitting in front of the TV, watching Penguins of Madagascar, and I said, "Time for dinner."

He beamed at me and sprung up to come join us.


	26. Issue 26

_Quick little author's note: Here are the Japanese translations of some of the phrases used in this story._

_kaachan- Mother (casual)_

_ai-love_

_Aishi te i masu-I love you (familial)_

_Watashi wa hijō ni anata wo aishi- I love you very much_

_aishiteru-I love you (romantic)_

_kuma- bear_

**Chapter 2**

My body absolutely ached as I walked in with Akihiro. The news was on with Kyle seated before the TV.

"Temperature high between fifty-two and fifty-three, and don't forget we're under a tornado warning until ten thirty..." I placed my purse down on the table next to the paper grocery bag. I huffed, leaning on the table for a moment, "Tornadoes in Canada. They're kidding."

"Maybe you should lay down Momma..." Akihiro said, wrapping his small arms around my waist.

I sighed, "Momma's just tired, I'll be fine. Go ask Kyle if you can watch cartoons."

He looked hurt, "But I want to help..."

I took a breath and forced myself to sit down. My muscles from my neck all the way around my torso were screaming, like I'd just been through military training. I reached out for him and pulled him into my lap, "Shh, you can. Just give me a minute, okay?"

His small fingers pushed my hair off my face, "You look sick..." He looked worried. I pressed a kiss to his forehead, "I didn't sleep well last night."

My phone rang, and I forced myself to shift to get it. Aki clung to my neck, and once I'd picked up, he started softly rubbing the tense, aching muscles. I briefly wondered what got to me as I said, "Hello."

"Nikki, I have news" Hank said. I noticed quickly he didn't specify good or bad.

"What kind of news?" Aki's hands were so gentle, I just wanted to sit there and hold him and make everybody else get up and work, but that wasn't fair.

"Akihiro's memories will return as he further ages, but it'll take time. It could be a few months before he is how he was before."

"Okay" I said, "Do you have any...other news?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I need to know."

Hank took a long pause and said, "Congratulations, you and Logan are having a baby girl."

Relief flooded my whole body. I clutched Aki a little tighter and he smiled, cuddling up to me. "Thank you Hank."

"The X Gene is present and active in the DNA we found already, so just be careful. If anything abnormal starts to happen, let me know."

I heard the shuffling of papers and waited a moment before I told him, "I'm exhausted, and I'm in pain. And it has nothing to do with my workload. I feel like I've been put through military training. My body's just screaming, like I need to go collapse somewhere and sleep for ten years."

"Well all I can tell you right now is to take it easy then. See what happens. If you feel worse, come out" Hank said.

I smiled, and I knew he could tell, "Thanks Hank."

"Thank you Nikki. Take care of yourself."

"I will."

I hung up and let Aki down, standing with a sudden surge of confidence, "Who wants Jasmine tea?"

Aki smiled, "Can we take a nap together too?" His smile was sheepish and sweet, just like the little boy I knew. I kissed him so gently on the forehead, "I'd love to sweetheart."

Lester was...freaked. I didn't blame him, when Nikki told me what happened, I'd been too, but apparently, it was for the best. I'd really never seen D-Akihiro so happy.

"Where are they?" Lester asked Kyle as he walked in ahead of me.

"They're curled up in bed with Lifetime on. Nikki was exhausted, so we took over" Laura said, munching on some popcorn, "Don't disturb them, Nikki really looked tired."

"Really?" I asked. I sniffed, unable to smell anything off.

"Yeah, she looked really pale, paler than usual" Kyle said, "And she had such dark circles under her eyes it looked like she got beat up. Aki was pleading with her to go to bed when they got home, so they did. I think she was in pain, she mentioned it on the phone."

"Hank called, then?"

"Ask her."

Akihiro rushed to the stairs and yelled, "DADDY!"

I looked up. It wasn't the excited shout he'd given me yesterday. This was full of panic, full of terror. Kyle, Laura, and Lester whipped around too.

"Mommy's not waking up" he whimpered.

I didn't hesitate to leap up and run up the stairs.


	27. Issue 27

**Chapter 3**

I swung open the door, going to her side. Her heart was working hard to keep going at the snail crawl it was, that much I could hear.

"Baby, wake up...darlin, look at me, talk to me..." I said, brushing back her hair and cradling her in my arms.

I heard him sob and turned to see Akihiro standing in the doorway. He smelled like fear, plain and simple.

"Go get your sister, have her call Doctor McCoy and tell him we'll be right there" I told him, scooping her up in my arms.

He ran down the stairs and yelled at Laura in a mix of English and Japanese. Kyle scooped him off the floor while Laura picked up the phone-but I rushed for the quinjet. It would take me twenty minutes to get to Nation X...all I could do was hope she had twenty minutes.

_!_

There have been a handful of times in my life when I've felt this helpless. When I was young, when Silver Fox...Itsu, Mariko, it's followed me like a plague, a plague Nikki dared face and won. She'd won for ten years. We'd come close enough to dying together several times, but we always won. I couldn't imagine my life without her, and all of a sudden, I was scared I'd have to.

"Logan" Hank said quietly. _Oh god please not this time... _"She's stable. But all I can do is keep her that way."

I looked at him, "What happened Hank?"

"The baby's mutation is already active. She shut down Nikki's healing factor. I have Nikki on a machine that will clean her blood as long as she's hooked up to it."

"What's wrong with her blood?"

"She has adamantium poisoning. Logan...this is something I hoped I'd never have to say" Hank seemed to choke on the words, "But there's a good chance she won't be able to carry this baby."

"Jesus Hank, say it in English."

Hank looked pained as he said, "If you want to make sure this has no lasting effects, and possibly save her life...you should ask her about getting an abortion when she wakes."

It felt like bricks were being forced down my lungs, and I knew before I said it, "She'd never agree to that. She'd rather die than kill her own kid."

"Just talk to her Logan. She needs to know what she's facing."

"_I_ need to know what she's facing. What are the odds, Hank, I want an idea of what we need to do to pull off a miracle."

He sighed heavily, "Sixty percent chance of succumbing to the adamantium poisoning, thirty percent chance the baby will kill her during or shortly after the birth, and ten percent chance if she stays hooked up to this machine through the next nine months."

I looked at him, and the one thing I'd thought would never happen for the entire time I'd been on this team happened. I broke down. My eyes clouded up, and I felt warm, wet...I thought I was bleeding. But no, there was something tearing inside me, and it was my heart. Hank heard the alarm on his watch, and said, "I'll be right back Logan, I need to check her."

It took me about ten seconds to get up and get to the prison bay, to Victor Creed's cell.

"Logan? The hell-?"

"Finish it."

"What? The hell are you talking about?"

"KILL ME" I roared at him, "Because goddamn it Creed, she won't give up the baby and it's _killing_ her! Just take me out, because I'm not going to do this...I can't make her..."

Victor looked at me, and I saw an expression I never thought I'd see. Shock. Horror. Sorrow. "Nikki's dying?...How?"

I shook my head. I just didn't have the voice to talk. If I opened my mouth, I knew I'd be a sobbing pile of hopeless, and it wasn't the exact way I wanted my rival to see me.

"This can't be happening" Victor said quietly, "She can't...no." He sounded as in-denial as I was. So I let him go. He went past me as if he were in a trance, following my scent back to her. Hell, I wasn't stupid, that was why I went to Victor first before I called Laura. I'd have to have less than half a brain to not see that Victor loved her just as much as I did.

_!_

She was pale, incredibly pale. Logan didn't come back to the room, and nobody came after me, so all I could think was maybe they'd finally backed off. Her skin was cold.

"Darlin, can ya hear me? It's Victor...tomcat." I stroked her soft, fragile cheek, watching her skin take on a shade of color as my body heat warmed her. "Darlin, get your ass out of this bed. You're not a frail, you're my girl. You've kicked my ass more times than I can count. You set me in my place. Runt's a lucky bastard and you know I know it, you know I'd never admit it to myself or you, but you...you're beautiful. I love you as much as I love Kitten or Chloe...darlin, I need you too. Ya don't look at me like an animal, and ya gave me a second chance. Please babe...God better give you a second chance, or I'll go back to hell because I won't want to go upstairs for a cruel bastard like that. Nikki, open your eyes and tell me to fuck off or something. Tell me I'm a worthless bastard, just like you know I am. Wish me dead, tell me off, something."

"Victor?" a southern-tinged voice said from the door, "What're yah doin' here?"

"I need to be with her Rogue. What do you want?" I held her pale, cold hand between mine, willing it to warm. God I wanted to feel her warm. I didn't feel guilty about the times I'd tried to no avail to get her to be mine, or the time I'd taken her against her will. I'd give anything, absolutely anything, my heart from my chest, to feel her skin warm again. To see her get ready to clock me somethin' fierce again.

"Ah heard what Hank said...and Ah wanna help her."

"By killing her? Thanks but no thanks, you people have done a bang up job saving her life already. You even made it impossible for her husband to."

"Ah wanna carry her baby Victor."

My head snapped up, and I glared at her, "Why the fuck didn't I think of that?"

"Because you don't know what it's like. If this can happen...Ah'll be human for a while. The baby won't hurt me."

"Did you ask Hank?"

"Ah need to ask Logan, yah know where he is?"

"Down the hall. And Rogue-if you do anything to hurt her because of this kid, you know what I'm notorious for. I'll go back to it."

She looked at me with an intensity only women could manage, "And yah know Ah'd never hurt Nikki for mah own life. Ah wanna save her Victor, and Ah wanna save her baby. Just because it makes me normal doesn't mean Ah'd ever hurt mah friend."


	28. Issue 28

**Chapter 4**

My mother's hand fit in both of mine. Dad had Tayla, and Daken was with me. Doctor McCoy had just let everyone know they could see her. Naturally, Daken wanted to go first, so I came with him.

"She'll be okay now...right?"

I definitely wasn't used to being the big brother. I nodded, "Yeah, she'll be fine. At least, she should be."

He looked at me with such terror, it was easy for me to take over his role, "Look, she'll be fine. I promise. I'd do anything, absolutely anything at all to fix it if I had to. She's my mom too...she's my hero. And I'd do absolutely anything to make sure she can keep being everybody's hero."

"She's my hero too...and Tayla's" he said.

"I know I'm supposed to love Logan too, but my mom had to go through hell for me. I feel like I owe it to her."

He nodded. I heard a muffled sound, and quirked my head. Laura was standing outside the window of the room, watching. She tried to conceal the sob, but she couldn't. I heard Kyle whispering to her; heard his hands on her shirtsleeves, rubbing her arms to calm her down. I felt strange hearing the whisper of her hair drawing away from her face when she moved her hand to push it back. My senses were getting much better.

"Come on, Laura needs a turn" I said, taking my brother by the hand.

Once we came out, my biological father stood up, and so did Logan. I looked away from Victor Creed, not wanting to look at him. I kept my arm around my little brother and my mouth shut-because that was least likely to get me killed today.

"Alright, it's time we put this little rivalry to rest" Logan said.

"What d'you mean?" Kyle asked.

"You know what they did to mutate you? They used Vic's DNA" Logan said.

Kyle's eyes darkened as he held Laura's arms, "I remember." His tone was angry.

"So, that at least remotely makes you part of this. We're done with fightin' done with warring with each other all the time. We've made a deal. He stays away from my wife, and he keeps his..." he looked in Tayla's direction, "Skull."

I found myself stifling a smirk.

"Alright, wonderful, we're not Montagues and Capulets, so can Laura see her mother or what?" Kyle spoke the truthful and obvious, thank god.

"Go ahead" Logan said.

Laura beelined for the room, and I knew she'd know even if she didn't hear. Hell, I'd know if I went to Siberia, because Logan's words made a new kind of anger boil in the pit of my chest. "We're gonna be one family."

"So are they moving in?" Sal asked.

"Not necessarily, but they're...welcome now. Kitten, Chloe and Vic."

I looked at Logan like he was a nutcase. Tears were welling up in my eyes, the hot, betrayal kind. Kitten I was fine with, but Chloe? The royal bitch who'd tried to kill my mother several times over? Or Victor? My existence should've been because of Logan, not him. I could never forgive them. Logan knew that, and still he did this.

"Vincent, this is gonna be okay-" Victor said.

I clutched my brother a little bit closer, "Don't talk to me. Don't say my name. Don't even look in my direction. I don't care if Logan's forgiven you, because I haven't."

"Vince-"

I'd had it. I wasn't like him though-I wouldn't attack for nothing. So I took off running. I ran until I tasted coastal air on my tongue. I opened my eyes. The sun was setting, and a light breeze ran through the rocks. I stepped toward the water, and fell to my knees in the sand. I had to be the hero today, I had to protect my little siblings...so this was the one time I could allow myself to be weak and cry. The sobs tore out of me like I was ripping apart Velcro. I was torn. Victor was my _father_ and yet I hate him so much...

"Vincent?"

I looked up. Standing over me was my mother's former sidekick, Megan Gwynn...Pixie. She sat down and put her arm around me. Honest to god, I felt weak. I felt as flimsy as her wing. I hated feeling that way.

"It'll be okay."

I just leaned into her, my face on her shoulder, my fingers twisted in her shirt, and her hands...her soft, gentle hands, were stroking my hair just the way my mother did.

I didn't stop crying for a very long time.

_!_

I felt like Sleepless In Seattle, but with a modern sequel/prequel/whatever. The weight of the pain was crushing my chest, and Kyle's arms were warm and so...so tight around me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hurt myself. But all I had the strength to do was cry. And he held me in his arms and he didn't make me move.

"I lost my mother once...I can't do it again..."

"You won't. Laura, baby look at me" his voice was so soft, so comforting, that when he held my chin in his hand, cradling me so close, "Nikki's a fighter. She's okay."

Doctor McCoy smiled at us as he walked in, "Would you like to go meet your baby sister before Rogue fully wakes up?"

I nodded and nearly sprinted in. There was an ultrasound, showing the little girl that had almost killed my mother, inside her teammate and friend. I touched Rogue's skin. Nothing. Thank god.

Vincent and Megan slipped in as Doctor McCoy slipped out, and then, I let my brother be alone with our mother and Rogue. What else could I do? Of all people, he'd taken this the hardest.

_!_

I stared at the thing on the screen. There was a heart beat, there was a face. I wanted to growl. No one could hear, but I had the eerie feeling _she_ could, so I said it out loud.

"If you ever touch my mother again, I will kill you myself."

and I went to join my family outside.

**X**


	29. Issue 29

**Midnight In Chelsea**

_songfic_

_Kids 'round here look just like sticks  
Trade old licks with a beat up six  
I just smile and catch the groove  
Got the girls all dressed in black  
Serious as heart attacks  
Takes a little bit of getting used to  
The old man with the whiskey stains  
Lost the night and forgot his name  
His poor wife was sleeping alone again  
It ain't hard to understand  
Why she's holdin' on to her own hand  
It's Midnight in Chelsea  
_

Naturally, she was blushing. He thought it was beautiful on her.

They sat across from each other, and when people would steal glances at the not-so-couple, he would reach across the table and take her hand reassuringly. Finally, Chelsea broke the silence.

"Doesn't Maria wonder about this?"

Wade shrugged, "I told her what I was doing."

"We're supposed to be on our way back by now."

"You look beautiful." He broke her inner turmoil with his words, making her look up at him. Her hair waved ever so gently around her face, and just a bit of her scarred skin was exposed with her dress. He took her hand and ran his fingers over the soft, smooth skin on her knuckles. He admired her pink painted nails and said, "You won't think it's weird if I give you something, will you?"

She was silent for a moment before she whispered, "No."

_(Sha la la la, Sha la la)  
Midnight in Chelsea  
(Sha la la la, Sha la la)  
No one's asking me for favors  
No one's looking for a savior  
They're too busy saving me  
I seen a lonesome rainy drive  
Seems the chauffer took a dive  
Sold his secrets to the sun  
Ahh, later in a magazine  
I finally figured what it means  
To be a saint but not a queen  
Two lustful lovers catch a spark  
Chased their shadows in the dark  
Someone's gettin' off tonight  
A big red bus is packed so tight  
Disappears in a trail of light  
Somewhere, someone's dreamin'  
Baby it's alright  
It's Midnight in Chelsea  
_

He wrapped a sparkling diamond tennis bracelet around her wrist, watching her stare.

"You're kidding! How...where did you get this, and how long will it take me to pay you back?"

"Dinner once a week for the rest of our lives, how about that? And I pay, by the way. I just want you to be happy."

She turned a shade of red that was unnatural for such a pale girl, "Who told you?"

"Nobody had to. Chelsea...I know. But you're beautiful, you just need a confidence boost. Frankly, you're out of my league."

She looked at him incredulously, "Hell no I'm not! I...I only have my looks Wade, and they're not perfect. No one in their right mind would dare date the girl who would rather go raise a mouse than go to prom...or cracks jokes at a crime scene. Everyone thinks I'm nuts with good reason, I just...you're the only person who I can be normal around and not have to worry."

He gently trailed his fingers across the bracelet, up her wrist, and he stood, "Come on. I want to show you something."

_(Sha la la la, Sha la la)  
Midnight in Chelsea  
(Sha la la la, Sha la la)  
No one's pinnin' dreams on me  
No one's asking me to bleed  
I'm the man I wanna be  
When Chelsea girls sing  
Sha la la la, Sha la la la,  
Sha la la la, Sha la la la  
Oh, oh  
It's morning when I go to sleep  
And here comes the distant dawn with church bell rings  
Another day is comin' on  
Baby's born an old man dies  
The way young lovers kiss good-bye  
I leave my soul and just move on  
Wish that I was there to sing this song  
La la la la, Sha la la  
Sha la la la, Sha la la  
It's Midnight in Chelsea  
Sha la la la, Sha la la  
Ahh Midnight in Chelsea_

He brought her to the middle of a wide park and said, "This, this is where Jon Bon Jovi wrote Midnight In Chelsea, even if he recorded it in New York. This is what I want to show you. This is the town that has your name, and in my oppinion, it doesn't measure up."

She was about to protest when the loud bells of a clock tolled midnight. He wrapped her in his arms and said, "It's midnight in Chelsea, with Chelsea."

She let go of her fears and her inhibitions as soon as he'd wrapped her in his arms; she kissed him, Maria be damned. If they had one night together, they would spend it here, under the stars in the middle of England, right where she wanted to be...with Wade.

_No one's askin' me for favors  
No one's looking for a savior  
They're too busy saving me  
It's Midnight in Chelsea  
Sha la la la, Sha la la  
Yeah no one's pinnin' dreams on me  
No one's askin' me to bleed  
I'm the man I wanna be  
The man I wanna be  
The man I wanna be  
Midnight in Chelsea_

**X**


	30. Issue 30

**Angel**

_songfic_

I know, I'm an idiot. Wanna know how I ended up at the bottom of a well on a sunny, Canadian spring afternoon?

I was waiting for a girl, that's how. A girl I like, a girl I want to impress.

I am such an idiot.

_I'm looking at, an angel  
and believe me when I say,  
She got that whole place blowing  
she got that whole place blowing  
She got that whole place glowing_  
_I'm looking at, an angel  
and believe me when I say  
She got that whole place glowing  
She got that whole place glowing  
she got that whole place glowing  
And she's high in the sky singing  
Way above the clouds in the sky singing  
way above the clouds in the sky singing  
Way above the clouds in the sky singing  
way above the clouds in the sky singing  
_  
I'm sure nobody's coming for me. Logan's in California with Mom, Laura and Kyle were already out by the time I woke up, and Chase will be taking care of Tayla and Daken. I really blame that _thing_ that made my mom sick-it started a chain of events that made me stupid.

I was waiting for her when I saw this stupid little thing-a ring. It's real alright, I know real. My parents are rich, I can spot real a mile away. It's a diamond, probably some chick who broke it off and threw it away. I came in and got it, but the basket broke on the way down. So I have no girlfriend, no flowers, and a pointless little ring. Oh, wanna know why I'm stupid? I also de-clawed myself this morning. I'm not getting out of here anytime soon.

_She got wings, she got a halo  
Halo  
It seems to me so unnatural  
'Cause that's one thing, that I just don't know  
what seems to be so incredible  
She looked at me, took me by surprise, yeaaahh  
as if she took me by the hand to some foreign land  
And had me way up  
Way above the clouds in the sky singing  
way above the clouds in the sky singing  
Way above the clouds in the sky singing  
way above the clouds in the sky singing  
way above the clouds in the sky singing_

I feel more than a little pathetic. When I look at the ring, I keep thinking _one day this is going to work out. One day I'll follow in my mom and dad's footsteps and make myself a legend. Our wedding will be as badass as the one mom's dying to see._ I wonder if Kate ever had to pull the prince out of a well.

Yeah...probably not.

_Singing my song yeah yeah  
from dust to dawn yeah yeah  
I know you got a lot on your mind  
but it won't be long yeah yeah  
For always get better yeah yeah  
and I may be wrong yeah yeah  
Some never get it across the line  
before they make it home yeah yeah_

I got out of my little pity party and tried to find a way out. The ring I was going to give her barely fit on my pinky finger, but I pushed it on and grabbed the rope and started scaling-only to land back on my ass when the rope snapped again. I tried kicking in the rocks for footholds and when I nearly broke my foot, I stopped.

So I've resorted to screaming and banging on the bucket.

_Singing my song yeah yeah  
from dust to dawn yeah yeah  
I know you got a lot on your mind  
But it won't be long yeah yeah  
For always get better yeah yeah  
And I may be wrong yeah yeah  
Some never get it across the line  
before they make it home yeah yeah  
_

The sun's going away, and I'm still here. I stopped yelling a long time ago, so now I'm sitting here, playing this bucket like a drum and letting it all out. I've heard a few wolves howl, and I think I know why Victor's been called tomcat for so long. I may be able to play guitar, but I can't sing for shit.

_I'm looking at an angel  
And believe me when I say  
she got that whole place blowing  
She got that whole place blowing  
She got that whole place blowing  
She got that whole place blowing  
I'm looking at an angel  
And believe me when I say  
She got that whole place glowing  
She got that whole place blowing  
She got that whole place blowing  
And she's high in the sky singing_

"Vincent?"

Oh holy crap. Oh my god. "Daniella? Hey! DANIELLA!"

Her face peered over the top of the well like an angel's. Her pretty black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her silver chain hung over in mid air when she looked at me, "Vincent, what are you doing down there?"

I pulled off the ring with some force and held it up to her, "I found this for you!"

She leaned in, and I prayed she didn't fall in. She reached out, "Take my hand! I'll get you out!"

I put my back on one wall, my feet on the other, and pushed myself up until I could grasp her hand in one of mine. She was using a lot of force to push me up-give me strength. I yanked myself out and fell next to her on the ground. She was laying in the broken daffodils I left there for her, and I busted up laughing as I put the ring on top of her shirt.

"What?" she asked.

"Your codename might as well end up Angel, cause you just saved my ass!"

She smiled and put the ring on, "I wouldn't do that for just anybody you know...I like you Vincent."

Her cheeks were pink, and I sat up, scooting next to her, "I'm glad. I like you too. A lot."

She blushed deeper, and I kissed her cheek very lightly, "Come on. I've spent all day in a well, I wanna go eat."

She pushed me down and said, "Gotta race me for first pick."

As I said, I'm stupid, and I like the girl...so I let her get a head start.

**X**


	31. Issue 31

**My Queen's Seraglio**

**AU**

Logan couldn't believe his damned luck. The X-Men had fallen months ago, as had every hero on the planet, and every government. There was one ruler now, and nobody knew who, but on his luck, he'd know very soon. He'd been tracked down by the Royal Sentry (aka Bishop, Blade and Cable) and hand-delivered to the palace.

His first emotion was relief. Nearly instantly he saw his friends were taken care of, and very well at that. That was when the second emotion, confusion, came in. Kitty told him she wanted him in her seraglio. He'd asked her what that was, and she didn't tell him, simply told him that he was one of the lucky guys-and told him that Scott Summers was cleaning exotic animal waste for the rest of his life. That was enough to make him laugh for a good ten minutes.

So clad in black leather pants, he walked down the corridor Jubilee had pointed him down.

Naturally, that was where confusion became a mix of pure fury and lust.

Wild Child was reclining against a throne made of pure gold. Daken was laying in a giant mound of pillows, his eyes closed, though Logan knew full fucking well he was aware. But what ignited his fury, was Victor Creed, on his knees in front of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen-of course, she was Slasher. He knew the scent. His arch enemies. Victor was purring for her, his hands on either side of the throne. Her fingers were stroking through his hair.

"Logan." Her smile was wicked as she looked at him.

"Slasher. Naturally. Never figured you'd be the take over the world type." He stalked toward her with every intention of ending this madness.

Victor stood up in front of her, "You wanna touch her runt, you better have every intention of makin' her happy with it."

"Yeah, like you know so much about making women happy" Logan said, "Move."

"You'll learn" Daken said.

"Learn to what?"

"We're her sere...seragi...no..." Wild Child struggled to pronounce the word, so Daken cut in.

"Seraglio. We're her harem. Concubines. Pleasure slaves. Sex toys. Whatever you want to call it. But rather, Kyle and I aren't as much as Victor, apparently. She's not that much of a cougar." Daken jutted out his lower lip in a pout.

She strode around Victor and beckoned to Kyle as she joined Daken in the pillows, "Oh Daken, be nice. Besides, I know where you go when you want to get some..."

"I can't see why you can't bring him here just for me. I used to think what I had with Lester was something, but..."

Logan couldn't help but stand there. He looked at them, especially as she laughed, "I know. I would bring Northstar here, but everyone would know then."

"I'll leap out of the closet if that means he do what he's so good at." Daken grinned at her in a wicked way, and Logan had to turn away. Victor chuckled, "You'll get used to it runt, I did."

"What did she do here Creed? What's the endgame?"

"A better world" she chimed in, standing so elegantly...his eyes ran over her figure. She was so beautiful...the way her curves simply filled out that beautiful blue dress...she was so ornate, just like a pharaoh...

"Fine."

"Fine?"

That look in her eyes...she already knew she won, but he let her have the satisfaction. "Fine. I'll join you."

"You're too sexy for your own good" Kyle said.

She turned back, beckoning Kyle to her, and she gave him a long, slow kiss, "As are you sweet boy." He moaned audibly as she ran her fingers gently through his hair, touching the peak of his leaf-shaped ear, "God that feels so good." He trembled, looking at her. She welcomed him onto her lap, just touching his hair. It was strange, but Logan found it...easy to get used to.

There had been a steady improvement since she'd taken power. He quickly learned her name, and learned to like her. She had a particular fondness for him and Victor, just like Daken said, but Daken and Kyle were more like her boys. When she needed an energy boost, she went to them, just to be around them. There were whispers of a rebellion, but Logan quickly knew, if she asked him to fight for her, he'd kill anyone in his path to keep her alive. He was devoted. And yet, he was also convinced she was in love with Victor.

She looked out the beautiful, ornate window, with Victor at her back. His arm snaked around her waist as he nuzzled her neck, pressing soft kisses and light love bites to her skin.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked.

"Him" Victor growled, "Summers is trying to start shit. He's gotten too far."

Victor ran his claws over her arms, not even breaking skin with his light touch, and she said quietly, "Logan, I want you to take care of it."

So he did. He returned to the throne room, his hands covered in Summers's blood, to find Victor sitting in her throne, with her legs slung across his, her feet dangling over the edge of the wide throne, and his hand cushioned her back against the armrest while her head lay on his chest. She was deeply asleep, anyone could tell, so Victor's voice, though soft, sent a knife of hurt through his chest. He would've killed him...but he knew she didn't want that.

"Well, yer a warrior alright. Her best little soldier. By now she knows you'd kill for her, but she knows I'll take care of her."

Logan looked at them, and he knew. He missed his chance by a mile.

"I'd kill you...but I can't hurt her."

So he walked away, and the only happily ever after there ended up being, wasn't for him.

**X**


	32. Issue 32

**Royal Pains**

Oddly, this wasn't the craziest situation I'd ever been in. Jubilee and I had been dropped off in Jubilee gardens, picked up by a double-decker bus, and headed straight over to Westminster Abbey. Most women on the face of the earth would kill to be us today.

Jubilee, not so much. So I was letting my responsibilities shirk today. She could go off on her own, but I was going to the royal wedding! Seeing William and Cathrine become the runners-up for king and queen of England! The entire thought was enough to draw tears to my eyes.

"Don't kill anyone" I told her as I dismounted about two blocks away. My hair was tied up, under an ice blue hat I borrowed from Emma, that was adorned with fresh yellow roses. The dress I wore was modest...a little too modest for me, but hell, I wasn't planning on outdoing Kate at her own wedding!

My phone was on silent as I sat in the back of the church, watching her in her beautiful gown. I teared up. Naturally, I could wait all day for a ten minute I do, but this was my version of the Olympics. No, this was bigger. This was bigger for me than getting Obama for a president. This was bigger than the end of the wars. This was actually bigger than taking over the world, because second to my wedding, this was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen!

Also, naturally, afterward, I was crying, and their kisses made me cry even more. They were in Diana's carriage, and the flashback alone was bringing me to tears.

"What the _hell_ are you crying about?"

I could've smacked her. Ever since she became a vampire, Jubilee got so bitter, and she continued to get that way.

"The fact that the most beautiful wedding of the century just took place and we've seen it!"

"The century or this century?"

"Shut up. I have a feeling Logan will want you back in one piece."

"and not you?"

"He'll want me back in one piece, but he won't care about my clothes."

"God I didn't want to hear that."

"Then stop listening."

Oddly, Jubilee and I had grown apart over the shared heritage, but somehow...I'd changed too. I stopped caring whether anybody was happy or not anymore. Then again, this was my first day out after being in the hospital, I wanted to enjoy myself, and I really didn't need to deal with her problems...

**_China Doll_**

"Did you know momma took me to a tea house the other day Laura?"

Akihiro's question threw me for a curve ball. He was different as a kid, that's for sure. "Really? What happened?"

"She bought me a doll! It's really pretty, wanna see it? I didn't even have to ask her for it." Now I was really thrown. Maybe he'd always been like this.

He ran upstairs and returned with a porcelain doll, a geisha. It was probably one of a kind. I could see why he liked it. Her hair was raven, tied up in a bun atop her head and held in place with a pink comb adorned with tiny shells. Her almond shaped eyes were dusted with lavender, and her lips were cherry red. Tiny gold hoops hung from her ears. There were small flowers on the cuffs of her lemonade pink kimono, and a pure red sash wrapped around her faux waist. Finally, she had tiny pink velvet slippers with crystal beads on them.

"How much did this cost?" I asked.

"Twenty five dollars."

I looked up, "You're kidding."

"Nope. She sits on the shelf with Kuma. That's good, right?"

I nodded mutely and let him carry off his doll. Holy. Hell. Sometimes I loved Japanese standards of girly and boyish.

**Fallen (In Love)**

Her wings took on the same pattern as mine. Or rather, a similar pattern. Where mine had turned so there was a large shock of black, leaving only the outer portion white, hers had a large shock of white in the very center. Doctor McCoy was surprised, but he could only say he would analyze it.

"Raven."

She turned, her eyes warm, "Hello Romeo. I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

I shrugged, "Looks like I corrupted you."

She smiled, "I don't mind. It looks good on us."

I smiled, my wing tip touching hers, "Yeah...love looks good."

**X**


	33. Issue 33

**I Think I Wanna Marry You**

It wasn't the strangest place Laura had ever been comforted.

The X-Men had their own cemetery now. Laura could still remember when the Westchester school was her home-now the debris had long since been cleared and the remaining land had become Xavier Memorial Cemetery-a fancy way of saying 'Here lies the heroes' which was exactly what Kyle had etched in the plaque on the gate before they'd come in.

They hardly knew the kid, just what they heard. _Dante is so funny, Dante is so sweet, Dante knows what Doctor McCoy is talking about_. The boy was a freshman, relatively new to the school. He'd joined them when they moved to San Francisco. Nobody ever expected him to kill himself, but he had. He had the story of a lot of kids coming to the school; disowned the moment his parents found out. Social outcast. He hadn't been at Xavier's, and that hadn't stopped him.

Hardly any of the upperclassmen showed, but Cessily, Dust...and Hellion were there.

Laura held her little votive in her hand while everyone cried, playing his favorite songs.

_Hush hush the world is quiet_

It was more quiet than it had ever been on the grounds, that much was true.

When the others headed toward the jet, leaving candles burning and flowers strewn haphazardly around the solid granite headstone, Laura allowed herself to look back toward their jet. Julian glanced back, gave her a little smile, and boarded. The girls waved, and she waved back. As soon as they powered up to take off, Kyle led her out of the cemetery and down the road.

"It's a beautiful night for a funeral" Kyle said, trying to add a little humor to the somber situation.

She looked at him, "I guess it is."

He reached out and took her hand, "Laura, can I ask you something?"

As he slowed, she laughed, "On a creepy dark road surrounded by forest? This is the making of an intro to a horror movie, you know that, right?"

His fingers wound through hers and he took a breath, "I love you."

"I know that" she said with a smile.

"Laura, I love you. I really, really love you. I'm really, really in love with you...I think I wanna marry you."

The words caught her off guard, "Kyle...no." She pulled her hands away, "I'm sorry. No."

"Laura-"

She started off down the street and he went after her, grabbing her arm, "Laura! Listen to me!"

"I can't!" she yelled back at him, turning to look at him.

He grabbed both of her arms, and though his grip was strong the control on his temper was impeccable, "I'm not proposing! I'm just telling you how I feel! Listen to me Laura, please!"

"The first time I was in love nothing came of it! The second, he was killed and I was left with a baby! I..I can't go through all this...because you're going to leave me. You're going to move on with some other girl and you're going to leave me." She turned her face away from him. He could see the glistening trail of a tear rolling down her cheek, illuminated by soft moonlight.

He pulled her closer, until her soft skin touched his. He brushed away her tears and whispered, "Baby, I'm as invincible as you are. I'll never hurt you, I'll never leave you...Laura, I love you. I mean that. Let me prove it to you. I'll do whatever it takes."

She leaned into his leather jacket clad shoulder, "I'm scared."

"I know. I'm scared too. But look at me...baby you've done such a good job! You're still studying, and you're taking care of Anita, and you're so beautiful..."

"Kyle?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking."

He anticipated that she'd caught something with her hearing that he hadn't, but she held his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers.

"Let me take you out. We're in New York...we could get a ride and go see something on Broadway. You wanted to see Wicked, right?"

She smiled, "How about we head into the city and go have dinner instead? And then we'll see if we can afford Broadway after that."

"We will" he said proudly.

"Did you get the job at the auto shop and get paid a year in advance?" she asked with a laugh, "I know New York, I used to work here."

His hand gently rested on her back as he brought her closer again, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, then her lips, "Nah, your mom gave me an ATM card to her account and told me to give you a night you'll remember for the rest of your life. So we're going to head to the best hotel in the city when we finally get tired. Tomorrow, we'll go shopping, and then I'll take you home."

"You want to take me shopping?" she asked, amusement in her voice.

"I want to buy you whatever your heart desires. Jewels, clothes, whatever" he said, lightly kissing her again.

She shook her head, "Alright...but I really want you to think of this realistically..."

"This is realistic...for me."

She shook her head and laughed, letting him lead her down the street and into the city.

"That was incredible!" Laura said, laughing as she spun around on the street. She couldn't see the stars, but she knew they were there.

Kyle wrapped his arms around her. The bright lights made night seem like day. He'd kept his word; he'd taken her to dinner-the best dinner she'd ever had, and they'd gone to Broadway.

They waited for the walking sign, kissing and laughing like normal kids. This truly was Laura's first time in the city as a tourist; she'd been there to kill, she'd been there to work, and she'd been there to hide. Never had she danced among the nightlife like a real person. She felt...real.

And then it all came crashing down.

"Kyle..."

He sensed Laura's distress instantly and looked up.

There was a man-a _big_ man-staring directly at her. Kyle narrowed his eyes, "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"He was...a regular of mine" Laura said, turning away from him.

He gently rubbed her arms, "Come on. We'll go another way. I won't let this ruin your night."

"You know?" her voice was incredulous.

"One of the first things that happened when I started seeing you was Logan gave me your life story. He didn't want there to be any deal breakers if we really got serious...which, there wasn't. I let him know flat out, I'm a high school drop out. I never went to college, I never had a steady job, and I have a horrible temper. But you mean everything to me, so...I didn't let life interfere."

Laura curled into him as they walked, shielded against the bodies around them and the sudden chill running through her blood. She didn't know why, but something triggered a feeling of adrenaline-a sense of danger.

"Kyle...stop."

She turned back, and she saw. He was pursuing them. Kyle growled, "Stay close."

There was always some kind of conspiricy, always somebody out to get them. Not tonight, not as Kyle grew down his claws, snarled, and charged down the now-empty sidewalk at their pursuer. People were shooting video, taking pictures, and mulling around nearby. Kyle was smashed into a wall.

Laura's claws came down. She lunged, slashed, and shied away. Kyle was back up. They looked at each other in silent communication. He nodded. Her foot claws extended and she leapt, her kick was perfect. Kyle went for his gut while Laura took out his eyes. He had her by her ankle, and with a quick and sickening _crack_ she was on the ground.

Kyle let out a primal roar, his amber eyes looking like stone cold topaz, filled with fury. He latched on at their attacker's throat, his claws in so deep Laura could see the flesh tearing to compensate. He was screaming, and Kyle roared, "_NOBODY TOUCHES MY LAURA!_"

He grabbed his neck, his claws sinking in, and-in a shower of gore-ripped their attacker's head from his body.

The crowd was going wild, some with cheers, some with horror. Kyle leapt off his body and scooped Laura up in his blood covered arms. "Let's get you somewhere you can heal."

"Let me see" Kyle said gently as he set her ankle in his hands. She was nearly healed, but some of the smaller bones needed to be set before they could heal. He held her still, very lightly putting pressure where she needed it.

"Thank you" she said quietly.

"I love you. Never thank me for doing for you what I'm supposed to. Bend."

She tipped her foot one way, then the other, then did a complete circle. He smiled, "All better."

"I love you too. That out there was..." she looked down, "That's what I'm afraid of. Because I could lose you somehow. Someday."

He glanced over, "Well considering my jacket's all clean and I'm really not, the only place I'm going is the shower."

She looked at him with a small smile as he stood up. He stripped off his shirt, the muscles on his back flexing like rippling tide.

"Kyle?"

He turned back toward her.

"When I finish my course work, and I'm officially done...I want to marry you too."

He cracked a smile and hung his shirt off one arm while holding out his other hand, "Care to come join me?"

She blushed, "Not this time?"

He walked back and gave her a soft, gentle kiss, "Whenever you're ready baby. No hurries. We do have a lot longer than humans you know."

He gently shut the door, and she heard the soft sound of his clothes being thrown haphazardly about the floor...and she smiled.

**X**


	34. Issue 34

**Firefly-Fire Fairy**

**-1-**

Tayla giggled as the exotic parrot squawked right in her face. She jumped up and down and clapped her hands in delight, "She's beautiful!"

Sal glanced back as the cashier-a teenage boy-rung up the food for the dogs, "She yours?"

"My best friend's" Sal replied, "She's the best thing that's ever happened to us though."

"Ah" he said, as if he understood, "Twenty-seven seventy-three."

Sal produced thirty, and as the boy got his change, Tayla yelled, "LOOK!"

He turned back and looked outside...where the whole sky was engulfed in fire. He went close to her, watching the kid drop the change on the table in pure terror. He stared at the sky, and said some choice words he made Tayla promise never to repeat.

The Phoenix was crossing over downtown Red Deer-headed in the direction of New York.

Logan was enthralled in the TV, and instantly, it took over everything.

"Logan-?"

"Quiet."

Needless to say, my feelings were...hurt was an understatement. The scene meant only one thing-Jean Grey was about to come back. Again. Logan hadn't cared about so much...not women coming or going or anything, but I just knew...he still loved her. Even with the life we had, the joy we had, he still loved her. Her coming back would mean he was his old self again.

"I gotta go" he said.

"Logan, please. She's a big girl, she's done this before" I said.

He went up to our room and got dressed, shutting the door in my face.

"Logan, come on. Listen to me. What do you want me to do, sit here and hold down the fort while you go kill your former lover for the umpteenth time?"

The door fell open under my hands and he actually looked angry, "Jeannie and I didn't have anything, I told you that before."

"Logan, please...think about this."

"I'm thinking you're being a little too clingy Nikki! For god's sake, if I wanted to cheat on you I would've done it already!"

"I don't care about that!"

"Why because you had your fair share while I was in hell?"

That was a low blow. I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes, "I can't let you do this."

He cut in before I could finish, grabbing the keys to the quinjet and heading to the front door, "Watch me."

The moment he was out the door, I sunk down on the stairs. Tears started to drip down my face as I whispered, "Because I'm afraid you'll leave me..."

There was a heavy knock at the door, and then Victor called in, "Darlin, I'm comin' in alright?"

I futily wiped the tears from my cheeks and sat up. I heard him grab the spare key and just as I turned, he exhaled, "Nikki..."

I couldn't muster the strength to lift myself up, and he knew it. He dropped the key on the table and went to me, lifting me in his arms.

"What do ya need darlin?" His voice was soft in my ear, nice and soothing...

"There's a bottle of pills in the bathroom, they're antibiotics. I need to get my healing factor back up. I need to take them with water."

"I'll get it for ya darlin, just get some rest." He carried me up to my room, laying me in bed and walking in to grab them for me. I noticed the way my arms shook as I heaved myself into a sitting position. My body felt heavy.

"Stop. You really fucked yourself over crying like that." He placed two in my hand and once I managed, he held the glass to my lips. His touch was so gentle, easing me back onto the bed, and I felt like dead weight.

"He left. I begged him not to go, and he left. I get the horrible feeling something's...going to happen."

Victor sighed and kicked off his shoes, "He's an idiot, I told ya that before ya started dating him." He slipped off his jacket and moved around the bed, climbing in where Logan would've been. He gently rested my head on his arm, bringing me close, "Somebody's gotta take care of ya when ya can't do it yourself."

"If he doesn't come back, will you do me a favor?"

"Kill her?"

"No, kill him. And then kill her. And then let me kill him again."

Victor chuckled, his claws just barely brushing my skin as he brushed back strands of my hair, "Go to sleep darlin. Heal up for me."

I nodded, and slipped away in Victor's arms.


	35. Issue 35

**-2-**

I felt a kiss very lightly being pressed to my neck as I woke. I turned, and there was Victor, "Damn darlin, you slept like a brick."

"You kissed me" I murmured, a tiny smile stretching over my lips.

"You wouldn't wake up, I had t' get you up somehow" he stood and extended his hand, which I gratefully took. He pulled me into his massive chest, giving me the warmest of hugs, "Go get ready darlin, I'm taking care of everything for ya."

I nodded, "Thank you Victor..."

He shook his head, "Don't worry darlin, but if runt comes back thinking he's getting outta this one..."

I smirked, "Carte blanche to you tomcat."

He chuckled and left the room.

**_!_**

He kissed Jean like there was no tomorrow. He was surprised she'd been dead as long as she was, maybe that was why his reaction was so strong. He met her in New York, just after she'd climbed out of her grave. They were on the jet together, while it ran on autopilot back to Nation X.

"So you got married."

"Yeah" Logan grunted.

"Is she like Viper?" Jean's hands ran over his shoulders.

"No...she's actually the most beautiful woman in the world. I love her t' death...we've been together ten years."

Jean looked astonished, "And that...?"

"Was me still loving you."

Any other woman would've hit him, but she slumped in her chair, "Scott's still with Emma...isn't he?"

"They never got married, but they might as well be. They have something my marriage is starting to lack. They're gonna be together forever."

"What could this perfect girl lack that I don't?"

Logan glanced over, and he realized...he had no answer.

"I need to get home."

"Drop me off and leave."

For once, Logan listened, and prayed he'd be forgiven for his mistake.

**_!_**

Victor held her in his arms, "I'm in the dog house with both of 'em."

I laughed, my head on his chest, and my body nearly limp in his arms. His touch was so soft, and I'd been sleeping most of the day...when Vic said he was gonna take care of me, he really did. He wrapped me up nice and tight in his arms, and got me food when I was hungry, and purred to put me back to sleep. I was utterly exhausted, and I'd also been away from Logan a whole day. Tayla was watching cartoons in the area in front of us, and Kyle and Laura were quite obviously watching us from the stairs. Victor's claws trailed lightly up my back, and lightly down. His rumbling purr kept me awake now.

What I was surprised about was Vincent walking in, sitting down in the chair and ceremoniously asking, "When's he leaving?"

"Vincent" I chided from my spot on Victor's chest. Victor stopped purring and said, in a very menacing tone, "You got a problem with me, cub?"

"Yeah, and a rather big one too, seeming to remember you keep taking advantage of my mother. She's too nice to you. So maybe as the new man of the house, I can kick your ass out."

I sat upright, "Vincent Creed!"

He stood up, "Don't fucking call me that! Creed? CREEED? I'm not a Creed! I'm not a Howlett either! You wanna know why? Because they both suck! I'll be whatever Kyle is!"

"Gibney" Kyle chimed in from the stairs.

I gestured to him, "Alright, fine, go right on ahead. You think that's going to help your case any?"

He stormed off. It wasn't like I could blame him, but...it still shocked me. He was young...

"Nikki, don't worry about it. He's better than I was at his age. Then again, he also has a family that isn't trying to 'cast out the devil'."

I stood and looked at Victor, "You're not the devil. There's nothing about you that's evil anymore. You're just a fluffy ol' tomcat."

"Who the hell are you calling fluffy?" he said with a bit of a snarl in his tone. He was laughably adorable.

I went about my life like I used to, making a quick dinner with Victor close by. Just when it was about ready, I smelled blood and whipped around. Victor looked out the window too.

"Vincent" he muttered.

Before panic could set in, Vincent walked in the house, covered in someone else's blood. I caught two scents that weren't his in it, and sighed, "Vincent! Are you okay?"

"No" he whispered. His hands were shaking, and then I saw. His claws were down, and his hands were shaking. He looked at me with turmoil burning in his eyes, then at Victor, then back to me. "I lost it...I saw red and then they were dead..."

"Who?" He was still trembling as I grasped him tightly, pulling him close, "Who baby?"

"A couple of hunters...they were on a deer's trail. When I snapped, it was daylight...and then when I came back it was twilight..."

"Ya lost yourself to the animal. Happens to all of us. None of us leave this without killing, I promise that."

Victor got up and brought him a chair. I gently took his bloody hands and washed them off. Victor stood over him, patting his hair like it could help...but as he slowly relaxed, I knew it did. The first kill was always the most traumatic. It's the kind of thing that makes you or breaks you. Vincent, when he looked into my eyes, I knew it made him, "How do I stop it?"

"You try not to get angry" I said, "And if you do, pray to god you have enough control to hold it back."

"That's shit Nikki" Victor said, "He knows what he is. He needs to embrace it. Become one with the animal. Then he can shut it off when he wants to. He doesn't have multiple personality disorder."

I looked at Victor. Maybe it was because my animal and his animal had such a deep attraction that it was why I bit it back and kept it controlled. I touched Vincent's face, "Listen to Victor. And you need a bath honey."

"I'll do it myself" he said quietly, "Just...thank you mom. Please...don't let me do this again."

"I'll try" I said quietly.

He padded off upstairs, and I looked at Victor, "How did you know he needed that?"

"That's what I needed at his age."

I put the bloody paper towels in the garbage and just as I started to wash off, I heard Victor exhale heavily.

"What?"

He moved closer to me, and his arms wrapped around me, "You don't know how bad it's killing me darlin...I had you once, and I want you again. I need you."

His hands were very gentle as he leaned into my side, kissing my neck very lightly. He sighed in my ear, "Nikki, I love you."

I turned to look at him as I dried my hands, "Victor...please don't make me choose. I...don't know if I can."

"I'm not asking ya to...I'm just letting you know your options. I want you as badly as he does, maybe worse. If you asked me to, I'd kill him for you..."

"No..."

His lips covered mine, so gently, so passionately. For a moment, I didn't hear anything. I didn't see anything. I couldn't feel anything but his body against mine, his lips tasting like Logan's, but with a wilder...spice. I was always aware when my claws came down, so when I heard the sound of claws extending, I had one thought.

_Fuck him._


	36. Issue 36

**-3-**

Victor drew back slowly, taking his time.

Logan growled, "The fuck do you think you're doing Victor? Get your hands off my wife."

"I wasn't your wife when you were having your way with Jean Grey, was I?" I said. My tone was filled with malice I didn't even know was in me. I grasped Victor by his collar and kissed him so passionately.

Logan grabbed me off him and pushed my back into the counter rather hard, "Are you insane?"

A dull throb started in my lower back, and Victor shoved him off, "Get away from her."

I wrapped my arm around myself and fell, my back hurting. Victor knelt at my side, gently lifting me into his arms, "Come on darlin, breath."

I sighed softly, "I'm okay Victor."

"You're not okay. Goddamn it Nikki-"

"I'm fine" I said softly. I looked at Logan, "Are you going to hit me now? Because I'll kick your ass, I hope you know that."

He gazed at me, seeing the animal Victor had unleashed in me. I couldn't say I didn't like it. Frankly, I loved it.

"Nikki, I didn't go to cheat on you."

"But you did."

I could smell the slut all over him, and I knew he could smell Victor all over me. He sighed and looked at me, "Baby..."

"You can't lie to me Logan. I smell her all over you."

He sighed, "Yes, I did. But I made a mistake darlin...I love you. I don't love her, I love you. Please. Jean doesn't hold a candle to you."

"You still love her." My heart was breaking still.

"No. I love you."

I sighed and put my arms around myself, "Your ass is in the doghouse with me, I hope you know that."

He moved slowly, closer to me, gently wrapping his arms around me and holding my face, "Nikki, look at me. I will do anything it takes to win you back."

I sighed, letting my shoulders slump, "Then you're in for a lot of work."

_!_

I stirred at around three am. A light was coming from nearby, and I thought it was Victor having walked in, but when I opened my eyes, my claws came down instantly.

"You fucking _whore_" I growled out. I shot up and bared my claws at her. Logan was just waking up when I was already on my feet, the zebra striped shorts clinging to my backside and my matching top falling neatly on my form.

"I don't have time for you. I came for Logan" she said. She had the nerve to be standing in _my_ bedroom about to be talking to _my husband?_

"_Fucking bitch!"_ I leapt at her-claws out-and everything went dark.

_!_

"Mom! Mom!" Vincent was shaking my shoulders rather gently. Victor's hands braced my head as he said softly, "Shit. These burns are bad. Kid, go get some bandages or something."

Vincent's feet padded off and I opened my eyes slowly, "Victor?"

"Darlin, it's time to come around. Jeannie got hold of Logan. They're headed to Nation X."

"What...why?"

"Darlin, we gotta go. She's going there to kill everybody."

I forced myself up through the pain. Leaning on Victor, I looked into his amber eyes, "Help me then."

"I got your back darlin. Always have, always will."

And he proceeded to get me my uniform.


	37. Issue 37

**-4-**

The pain was so intense...the heat. I choked on my breath, clutching my claws into the sheets.

_You'll make it Chloe...you did last time. He'll come...he'll be here. Just keep yourself alive..._

My body was on fire. I looked outside...orange was engulfing the window. It wasn't my mind...I felt that heat too. I leapt up.

"Oh fuck." Phoenix. I pushed through the pain to climb out to the window and lunge. My heart was making odd feelings in my chest. It was skipping some beats, beating too hard on others...she had me down before I knew what had happened. Searing heat...like the one building in my body scorched my skin. She stood over me and said, "Where's he to protect you now?"

I struggled for breath, but I managed the last word, "Hopefully fucking my best friend."

Her eyes turned malicious, and I felt it. I didn't know if it was my own pain, or what she was causing.

Blackness formed rings around my vision. She still didn't have a comeback. I looked up at the sky, and smiled. At least this hell would be over.

"Mommy! I missed you!" Erica flung herself onto my chest.

Something cold...cold to me, and wet too fell from my eye. A tear?

"Erica."

_!_

Victor's face paled, whiter than a ghost. He took off from the Jeep nearly instantly, "CHLOE!"

My eyes were trained on Jean Grey. The bitch was staring at Chloe...and I realized very quickly she wasn't...no...

"CHLOE!" I shouted and ran down toward her. I'd known this woman for thirteen years, and never once in my life I'd thought she'd kick it before me, but my eyes weren't lying to me. Victor held her in his arms. I saw the heartbreak on his face. When Kitten appeared, my brain flew into gear before I did. Jean noticed her at the same moment. I raced the fire, and won, only to be slammed into with the force of a hurricane wind. My body burned...ached...everything disintegrated but my bones and was returned anew. Over...and over...and over. I turned, and my vision went red, but I knew damn well what I was doing. I fought the fire, and the pain, and my body as quickly as it regenerated, melted away. I leapt with my claws out and screamed with a hoarse voice, "TONIGHT YOU DIE FOR REAL!"

I didn't even see if my claws touched her throat. My eyes were gone...before my brain turned off.

_!_

By the time we got there, everything had gone to hell. Most of the south wing had been taken out, and Jean's body was mauled beyond all belief. Victor's huge black leather coat engulfed Nikki...and the bodies...

Kyle ran forward, shouting, "Is she okay?"

"She's alive...Chloe and Kitten..." Victor choked. His face was wet, and I never thought I'd see the strong elder mutant shed tears.

"Who-?"

"None of our recent...that girl, Tara, Romeo and Raven were in the north wing when they saw her. Got the Prof, and Nikki...god I was in shock, but she obliterated her. She's never comin back like that."

Victor's touch across my adoptive mother's cheek was feather light...just like Logan.

Burns were still healing on her visible skin...and then I saw it.

"Adamantium?"

"Oh god" Kyle whispered. That was why she wasn't waking up...that was why it seemed like her breath was labored.

"Somebody get Magneto!" Kyle shouted.

One of the students that was hanging back actually grimaced. Kyle shouted again, "GET MAGNETO!"

"We can't do that to her" Victor growled, "I'm not letting him touch her!"

His growl became a full blown roar. Kids cowered. I saw our friends in the crowd, but I refused to aknowledge it. I looked at him and said, "If you love her, let him fix this, or she will never wake up."

The look on his face said it all-pure terror.

"The metal was melted. Her bones cracked. She needs it out. Her body needs to be free of it. She'll never smile, or laugh, or cry..."

He shook his head. The tears were flowing fresh now.

"I'm not stupid. You're in love with her. I don't know if she is, but I've seen things...the way she checks you out when you're not looking. When you make her laugh, she looks at you like she's seeing the answer to the most puzzling problem on earth. You kissed her." With each word, his tears became more frequent, and my words more fervent, "The taste of her lips. The sound of her sigh. Her sleeping breaths. You want her. You need her. You _love_ her and I'd be a fool not to see you love her as much as Logan does! Maybe more! So keep her alive!"

"I..." he looked weak. He held her, and then I whispered, "She's yours if you do this for her. I'll keep him away long enough for you to win her heart."

He nodded.

"Good god."

Magneto, in that moment, looked like the old man he wasn't. I stood back, and so did Kyle. Kyle's arm wrapped around me, and I knew why. Avalon was famous as the incident that almost killed Logan. I knew this was putting her life on the line as much as not doing it would be.

I nodded and forced myself to turn away. Kyle put his hands over my ears, but not even blasting Metallica would have drown out her screaming.

**X**


	38. Issue 38

**Nature Of The Beast**

Logan wasn't in with her, which would've been bad news if I didn't know why. Laura had left my side to gaze in through the med bay window. Second time in three weeks she'd been here near death.

The why in question was half because Victor was in the room with her, and half because of the secondary mutation. In the process of ripping out her adamantium, something else had come to be. Claws, out of her fingernails, just like Victor's. Her ears had changed, to be like ours. She looked like a feline feral, only the major thing was, she hadn't changed. Sure, her eyeteeth were a little more elongated, and she really couldn't retract her nail claws...but she was still one of her own kind.

Logan didn't seem to understand that.

The secondary mutation was just a part of her. I thought she looked more like the Native. After all, they were family, weren't they?

I walked over by Laura and looked through the window. I could barely see her through Victor's hulking frame, but she was there. She looked beautiful as always, just a little wilder.

"Logan's pissed" Laura murmured to me.

"As usual" I replied.

A smile broke her usually somber features, "Be nice. This is hard for him."

"Why? Because he has to look at one of the most beautiful women in the world every day of his life and know she's lusted after by hundreds, maybe even thousands, of men and plenty of said men can compete with him? I thought Logan could handle a little friendly competition" I said.

She turned her face, "Stop it Kyle. That shouldn't be funny."

"It's true. Because even if he has one of the most beautiful women in the world, I have _the_ most beautiful woman in the world" I whispered in her ear, wrapping an arm around her.

She blushed a deep pink and I chuckled, "Logan's just being Logan, he'll come around."

"I know" she murmured, "But still...he has to look at her every day and see the woman he loves is loved by another man, that she has feelings for back. And now he's going to look at her every day and see that the other man was the one who saved her life, and now she's taken on traits that'll remind him of that every time he sees her. It's hard on him."

I nodded, "But she's still Nikki, just more fragile."

She gave me a sly little smile, "Tell her that and she'll show you why she's not."

"I'd rather keep what's between my legs where it is, thanks."

She laughed. I glanced over to Logan. He hadn't moved. It was almost like he didn't hear us.

"Where's mom?" Vincent said. Right behind him, Daken was carrying Tayla.

Laura nodded toward the room, and Vincent rushed in. I saw it instantly. Right there...at that moment, Victor wasn't excluded. They were the family. Victor watched Vincent perch on the bed, stroke her face and touch her hand. I watched her eyes flutter open, and her son's face be the first she saw. She grasped him tightly.

"Her healing factor's right back up where it should be" Laura said out loud.

That made Logan move. He walked up beside us and watched as Victor moved Nikki's hair off her face and gave her a kiss. Daken and Tayla rushed in to join the little party, making her face light up. Logan growled and stalked away after a short moment.

"I should-" Laura began, starting off after him.

I grasped her hand, gently pulling her closer, "Let him go. It's in our nature. He needs space, just like she needs us." I patted her backside, "Let's go see her."

She gave me a look and as I walked in, and she cracked my ass rather hard. I jumped. Nikki busted up laughing, "Well someone's having fun."

Laura walked right past me and sat down near her, "That was fun."

"Where's Logan?" she asked.

Victor, thankfully, gently held her face and silenced her with a kiss, "Darlin, you're not a hundred percent yet. Let's not stress you out too much."

She sighed, "Victor, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

He took her wrist gently in his hand and kissed her palm, "But you're still not back to yourself, an' I'm not losing you. So you're gonna rest, and you're gonna enjoy it."

She smiled, "Alright then tomcat. For you." Her fingers brushed through his hair, and they purred at each other.

Tayla giggled and lay on Nikki's chest, listening to the purr and her heart beat. I saw it between them, like a spark. It was in the nature of the beast to love as loved, to hate as hated, to fight as oppressed, and to kill as vengeance.

Nikki didn't have feelings for Victor-she full blown loved him.

**X**


	39. Issue 39

**Whole Lotta Love**

It was the first time in three days Victor had seen sunlight, and he realized it was probably one of the most tame ways possible.

It took Logan all of three minutes to get over the changes presented with Nikki's secondary mutation, so naturally, they were closer at the hip than ever before. Not to mention she was lucky she wasn't clinging to life like Logan had been shortly after Avalon.

Just a little more proof that Logan needed her a little more than Victor did. Which was why, upon her request for some "decent food" he went out to Chinatown. Where Nation X spilled into Chinatown wasn't the best parts of it, but when he saw what he saw, he'd never seen it coming.

"Someone will think you're an exotic art some day, won't they Lottie?"

The man speaking wasn't remotely Asian, in fact, he had an English accent. Birmingham? It wasn't the man that surprised him, but the sight before him.

She was young, that was the first thing he noticed. And she was locked in a cage. Her white hair looked to have leopard spots, and she was so pale he figured she hadn't seen the sun in a while. But it was her eyes that caught him; they were glowing violet. It was such a beautiful color it suited her. She was thin-almost too thin.

"An exotic little creature like you will bring me some good money."

The man's voice became sickening. Victor walked up, his massive frame and obvious status made the girl's head perk up.

"So you're selling her like cattle, huh?" a tone of hatred tinged his tone. He knew that would've been the exact way Graydon would've responded to Mystique, once upon a time, a helluva long time ago.

The man blanched, but stood his ground, "Yes. Two hundred."

He took his wallet out and handed him a thousand in cash, "You're full of shit."

He unlocked Lottie's cage and offered her his hand. She took it very gently, very delicately. He realized nearly instantly she was light, and probably much more fragile than he expected. He helped her out and lead her away.

"You got a name?" he asked quietly.

"Lottie Buckley" she said. Her voice had the same tone, but it was gentle; light and sweet like a summer breeze.

"Lottie. I gotta pick up some dinner and we'll head back to Nation X. It's a safe haven for mutants" he said.

"I've heard that before" she said.

He felt instant familiarity, "Yeah well, this time Chuck wasn't lying."

_!_

"You went to get dinner and you came back with a hot girl?" Vincent asked as Nikki and Lottie met, "You're taking me with next time."

"She's young" Victor said looking at Lottie. He'd noticed her claws when other people did, and the fact that she was very feline, and very beautiful.

"She's gorgeous" Vincent said.

"She's too old for ya."

"You just said she was young."

"She's twenty. She's young, but she ain't young enough for you."

"Not much of a difference."

"Big enough."

"How many years older than mom are you?"

That stopped Victor, "None of your business."

Vincent scoffed, "Seventy five."

"Fifty."

"Thought so."

Nikki shook her head and said quietly to Lottie, "Boys will be boys. Sorry you're the shiny new toy."

Lottie shook her head, "No, it's nice. I've never had people look at me like that."

She glanced over and met eyes with Vincent, and promptly turned bright red.

"How did it happen?"

Lottie traced her clawed finger around the edge of her teacup, "I was fifteen when my mutation came forward. When it did, I was cast out in the street. No one wants a mutant. Doctor Marley trapped me with food, and planned to sell me to the highest bidder. I was his captive for a little over a year."

Lottie's face was expressionless, but in her violet eyes, Nikki could see a degree of pain that was just short of her recent experience. Her hand closed lightly over her younger counterpart's, "And this place is where you'll be safe. You can even come stay with me if you like."

Lottie turned back and whispered, "Will they be there?"

"Yeah. They will."

Victor noticed Nikki's smile and returned it, while Vincent's cheeks flushed a light pink.

"You're a beautiful girl. Get used to those looks, you'll get them a lot."

Lottie stood when Nikki did, and she was blushing too, "Really? Do you think so?"

Nikki scoffed, "Think? Please darlin, I know. You're just like me when I was your age. Just try not to break too many hearts."

And with Lottie's blushing smile behind her, Nikki strode past Victor and murmured to him, "And for the love of god Victor, she's too young for you."

**X**


	40. Issue 40

**Just Like You**

_1_

"I like you" Vincent's voice was soft as he and Daniella sat on the garden bench.

"I like you too, but you know that" Daniella said with a smile.

"I mean, I _like_ you" he said, scooting a little closer, "I really, really like you. I think you're pretty, and you play video games, and-"

"That's what this is about?" she asked.

He was surprised at her tone, "Yeah."

She softened up a little and took his hands and spoke to him with a maturity he thought was beyond her, "Vincent, I like you. I guess I love you. But not like that."

His heart sunk, "Well, how do you like me?"

"Like a brother that doesn't annoy me."

His hurt was rather sudden and immense, "Thanks for the honesty, at least."

Daniella heard Chase's car pull up and she said, "Oh crap, I have dance class. Sorry. See you later." She gave him a hug and ran off toward the car.

Vincent pulled up a leg on the wall, looking off after her and muttering, "Love sucks."

_!_

Lottie leaned into the refrigerator, grasping the last can of Pepsi in the back of the shelf.

Vincent walked in, and was instantly met with the sight of Lottie's shorts leaning half in to get it. He couldn't help but chuckle and say to her, "You're never going to get it that way."

She climbed out and looked at him, "Why?"

He smacked the shelf, putting it on a tilt, and the can slid directly into his palm as he passed it to her, "That's how you do it."

"Won't your mom be mad you're messing with it?" she asked.

"Nah. She does it too. She taught me."

"You're pretty smooth for a guy, you know that?"

He gave her a smile, "I'd hope."

_!_

"That was quite possibly the dumbest thing you've ever done. Aren't we trying to keep a low profile here? Stopping a bank robbery..." Nikki cooed over him, changing the dressing on his wound while he lay in bed, "Call if you need anything, alright?"

Logan caught her arm gently, stopping her from leaving him alone in bed.  
"I can think of something I need" he said.  
"Oh?" she asked with amusement in her tone.  
"Kiss it and make it better?" he offered, the edges of a smirk playing at his lips.  
Shaking her head lightly, she pressed her lips to the healing wound on his chest. She grinned mischievously as she pulled away, "and that'll be all."

"Tease" he murmured.

She grinned and shimmied her hips as she swung out the door with a playful smile, "I know."


	41. Issue 41

_2_

_A Month Later_

_Nikki_

There were certain risks that were associated with being a hero and a mother. I just never thought I'd have to deal with them. I'd like to think I'm a good mother. All I know, is if he thinks he can touch my children, I will kill him. I will do it slowly, and I will make it painful. The instinct to protect is all I know. I will kill for my family, and that's no threat, that's a fucking promise.

He never had a say in the situation to begin with. He provided half the DNA, but she was coming out of me. He had no goddamn say in what I did with my body.

"Nikki, fucking listen to me-"

"Just walk away. If you don't want her, leave. I did just fine last time without you, I'll do it again."

Victor caught my arm, "So just how will you be telling runt then? I bet he'd _love_ to know this little aspect of your _consoling me._"

The way he spoke, it was like he'd never changed. So I treated him like he hadn't, and cracked him upside the face hard enough to hear his teeth rattle. "If you touch me again, I will make sure hell gets you back."

He looked at me, and I could tell he regretted having ever said something. I turned my back on him. Probably not the brightest move in the world, but as I expected, he didn't touch me.

That didn't stop me from getting out of his hearing distance before I started running down the hallway.

_!_

_Vincent_

"You're so cruel" I murmured softly as I wrapped my arms around Lottie, nipping her neck lightly.

"How am I cruel?" she asked, her sweet little button nose pressing to mine. I had to kiss her again, lightly.

"Because. You wear those damn shorts around the house all day and expect me to play nice."

"You didn't play nice last night" she purred as she nipped my lip lightly. I groaned into her mouth, kissing her back fiercely and slipping my hand along her back. She purred into the shameless groping, her purrs turning into whimpers as my hands gripped her hips and I rubbed my body against hers.

I slowly ran my tongue up her neck, feeling her tremble, "I love you Lottie. I really do."

She melted into my embrace, "I love you too."

My heart did a flip in my chest. It was such an unmanly thing, but it was true. She _was_ everything to me now. Suddenly, I felt like an echo of my parents. She was going to be my mate, I was convinced. We're going to be together forever, like mom and Logan.

"Now you're cruel" she murmured, trying to push me off, "I told you I'm hungry."

"And I told you I can cook...some" I said quietly.

She wound her fingers in my hair, "_Vince_..."

I laughed quietly, loving the soft whine in her voice, "Okay, okay. Come on." I led her down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Anything special you want sweetheart?"

Her arms draped over my shoulders as she leaned into me, "Let me see..."

"Jesus" I whispered softly, "That's so hot."

She smiled and nipped my ear softly, "Whatever you want to make me?"

"Will ice cream seriously make you scream?" I cooed in her ear.

She laughed, like bells, "We'll see, if you can get your mind out of the gutter long enough." Her slender arms slipped from around my neck, and I gazed at her retreating backside-wearing those shorts that just _did things to me_-and she walked right into Victor. Her face lit up like a cherry tomato, "I'm sorry-!"

He glanced her over, and I felt a growl building in my chest. She glanced at me, and probably deciding asking just yet wasn't going to help, she continued on her way out.

"The hell was that?" Victor asked, "You mad at me or something?"

I stabbed her spoon into the ice cream and turned to him, "Stay away from my woman." I didn't have to pay attention to him to know he was shocked by the force I bumped him with. Once I was out of earshot, I muttered, "Sorry Vic, I'm not a kid anymore."


	42. Issue 42

_3_

_Lottie_

When I felt a pair of clawed hands pressing into my hips, I laughed and turned, "Vincent really-!" But the claws didn't belong to Vincent. My eyes widened as the man called Sabretooth reached behind me and shut the cupboard. His eyes were just like Vincent's, but more intense. They were smoldering with heat that made me weak in the knees. His grip on my hip got rather rough, and he leaned in as if to kiss me...

and suddenly jerked away as if electrocuted. He growled and stormed off. I could see him running before he disappeared over the hill. My heart was racing with a mix of fear and interest.

I watched out the window, but when I felt a soft touch on my waist, I turned quickly.

"Didn't want to scare you" Vincent murmured with such sweet innocence in his eyes. I stroked his face lightly, "You didn't."

He leaned in, kissing my lips softly. One kiss lead to another. His arms wrapped around my waist as he leaned me back into the wall, "Come on. We'll be fine for a few more hours. I wanna take care of you." His fingers gently traced up from my knee, and I sighed, "I really do love you Vincent."

He smiled, "At least let me give you a massage. Anything you want."

I purred softly, stroking my fingers through his hair, "Why don't you have me again?"

He purred back softly, "Alright beautiful. Anything you ask."

_!_

My body was singing. He was so young, but still, he would make a doting husband for a deserving woman one day. I just couldn't get my mind off of the way Victor looked at me. It was a look I'd seen in Vincent's eyes before, but on a less violent scale. The entire idea filled my stomach with knots. I watched as he started up the hill from downwind. Part of me filled with anticipation-as if I sensed subconsciously he'd be back and went to wait for him. Thunder boomed, and I heard the faint sound of lightning crackling in the forest. The rain began to fall as he made those few long strides from the hill to where I sat in the garden. His hands were covered in blood.

He left hand prints on the white dress as he lowered himself to my level. His lips decended on mine hotly. I could taste the tang of fresh blood...deer blood. His claws slashed the material straight down the center, his growl becoming a purr, "This is your one chance to run like hell and never look back."

I was frozen but my instincts didn't let me think. He kissed me again, and I kissed back. His bloody hands stained the material until it gave way to my skin. The rain picked up, soaking my hair, running trails down my skin as it pounded on his back. His lips traced the path of the water drops, and I couldn't stop the mewls and moans escaping me.

Our bodies collided like stone. My skin, slick from the rain, driven insane by the heat of his massive chest and the cold of the water pouring from the sky...

"Say my name" he growled into my ear as he dug his claws into my hip. I gasped, the pain and pleasure mixed together with such intoxication...

"Victor."

"Louder."

"Victor!"

He growled.

"VICTOR!"

His growl became the kind of roar that frightened lesser men to death, but his blood mingled with mine from my claws. We were slick with rain and sweat and blood and god knows what else. The rain pounded the world around us, but he purred and wrapped me in his arms and his sodden shirt, "Won't help much, but..."

I looked at him as he-gently, compared to his movements before-moved away from me a few inches. There was blood running down my hips. My legs ached all the way down to my knees, and I knew he'd have to carry me in unless I could miraculously heal as fast as Wolverine.

"Thank you" I whispered softly. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me inside. My body ached. He put me down gently outside my door without another word and left me there.

I barely made it to the bathroom to wash off the blood before my knees caved. Pain shot up my body, but when I pushed myself up to see myself in the mirror, I was surprised by how glowing I looked. I settled in for a bath, soaking my aching body...

and I had no idea Vincent was still gripping the window ledge with his claws, so hard they left imprints.


	43. Issue 43

_4_

Victor sat up as the power cut in the rather large training gym, "The hell?"

"You know my temper, and still you push me. Did you really want to join your wives already?"

Victor growled, "Kid, you better not be talking to me. Cub of mine or not, I'll put you in your place for talking about them like that."

Vincent's claws grew as he said, "You just can't stand that I have her and you don't, can you?"

"You got nothing" Victor said, "Turn on the lights and quit acting like that pansy ass little runt of Logan's."

He was met with a hard slash across the chest that actually sent him falling back. It was deep, chipping bone.

"Really? Then what have I got now?"

Victor watched as Vincent lunged again and closed his fist, not even using close to his full strength as he knocked the boy back with a shot to the jaw. He landed hard. As impulsive and inexperienced as he was, he knew his son was lethal-he was his blood, after all.

Vincent's eyes were cold topaz, "Stay away from my woman."

"You're too young for her."

"And I clearly remember mom and I both letting you know to back the fuck off!" he roared, leaping up and slamming into Victor, tackling him back. He might've weighed less than Victor, but the momentum of the tackle got him on his back. He slashed and was countered. Maybe the boy wasn't as inexperienced as he'd thought. His claws dug into the boy's chest, and his throat was cut. His growl became a gurgle as he cut deeply into the boy's torso. Vincent let out a pained cry-ripping away. Victor's vision glazed red. He rammed his knee into Vincent's back, sending him to the floor. He barely had time to look up as he took a kick to the face. He coughed blood onto the mat. Still, he didn't give up. He slashed at Victor's leg, cutting a tendon. Victor hit him hard, watching as he fell unconscious. He raised his claws for the killing blow when he heard her.

"No!" Lottie rushed in, going to Vincent's side. The red haze slowly started to fade as he lowered his arm, watching tears roll down her cheeks. The realization hit him like he'd been thrown from a car. He'd almost killed his son. "Vincent? Please...wake up" Lottie whispered to him, stroking his face softly. She gently elevated his head, slowly examining his face. He saw what he'd done; the blood and the bruises he'd inflicted, and he left.

_!_

Lottie held Vincent's hand while he lay in his bed. Needless to say, Victor was lucky he didn't stick around when Nikki found out, or he would've been killed.

"Lottie? Did I win?" he asked quietly, his smile playful despite the pain she knew must've been coursing through his body. She sat on the bed and threw her arms around him, stroking his hair and pressing soft kisses to his bruised face while he healed, "Yes baby, you won. Victor took off with his tail between his legs."

"Good, cause I hurt like a bitch" he said with a weak, coughing laugh.

She kissed his lips lightly, "Then please, rest. You didn't need to fight for me."

He didn't let her move away, his arm wrapped tight around her waist and his other hand cradling her face, "Yes, I did. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you Lottie. I'm not going to make you choose."

"I did anyway" she whispered, "I love you too. I can't break your heart."

He gave her a slight smile, "If I could move without killing myself, I'd be partying."

She smiled back, "Thank you Vincent."

He didn't miss a beat, "Chivalry isn't dead yet. Slowly but surely, I'll prove it to you."

A little blush touched her cheeks, "You already have."

He exposed his canines in a smile, "You haven't seen anything yet."

**X**


	44. Issue 44

**New Traditions**

**For Crossbreed's 115 Birthday**

I sighed as I looked out the window. Logan was hellbent on surprising me for my birthday, but the whole thing was, he wasn't back yet. And it was noon.

"Hey darlin" Victor said, his voice a soft purr.

I turned and looked at him out of the corner of my eye, "Hey Vic."

He nearly shoved a rather large package into my hands, "This is for...y'know, whenever you wanna pick up again."

I removed the lid and moved aside the tissue paper, my hands coming to rest on soft brown spandex. I slowly touched the edges, and lifted the costume from the box. Victor gently removed it from my lap as I looked it over...and nearly cried.

This was just like his.

"Victor..." I couldn't choke out the words. No matter how much I wanted to thank him, or tell him I loved it, I couldn't get the words out. His arms wrapped around me, his nuzzling so gentle as he whispered, "Let it out baby. Let it out."

I slumped into the gentle cradle of his arms and released the tears. I was trembling, and for no better reason than the obvious-he wanted me to be happy. Victor loved me enough to want me to be happy. So gently, his hands cradled my face.

"It's your birthday. You cry today, you'll be cryin' all year darlin." His fingers lightly trailed over my cheek to my jaw, gently lifting my face to look at him.

I laughed through the tears, "You're such a dick."

He laughed openly and held me tightly in his arms, "I hate seeing you cry."

I smiled and curled my fingers into his shirt, "I hate hurting you. I really do."

"I feel worse every year on your birthday. Today's the best I've had in years."

I looked up and said quietly, "You do?"

He stroked my hair off my face and whispered, "I do. Every year, I look at that picture of you an' me...and I keep thinking of if I'd treated you right, I'd have runt's place. I'd be the one married to you, and the one ya couldn't live without. I wanna make one last shot at stealing your heart."

I touched his face lightly, my fingers skimming softly over his face. He sighed, whispering, "Now let me give you a real present."

I didn't have time to answer as his lips covered mine with a delicateness that was almost foreign from him. His hands were very gentle, very soft. Like the waves caressing a beach shore...

"Victor" I whispered, giving in to the gentleness of his touch. Victor was a changed man, my heart was set on that. He hadn't done anything he hadn't made me beg for first. He'd been nothing short of a gentleman...a crass one, but a gentleman. He made love to me, not just had sex.

Most importantly, I was carrying his child.

About an hour later, I sat in Tayla's room with Victor. Honestly, one of the hardest things was having a child sick on your birthday, and it wouldn't have been that way if her healing factor was fully developed.

"Tell me a story" she murmured, getting ready to fall asleep. Victor stroked her hair as I began.

"There once was a beautiful girl in a far away land. She wasn't very rich, but her family loved her very much, and she was a dreamer. No matter what hardships came, she could escape them.

One day, she went out into the forest looking for flowers. There was a huge castle with a beautiful garden. Since no one had ever spoken of the castle, she thought it was abandoned and went to pick the flowers. A huge creature of a man walked outside and yelled to her, 'Who dares pick my flowers?' and the girl said in reply, 'Why I do, strong prince. I didn't know anyone lived here, so I thought I could have a few for my family. My little sister especially loves flowers.' The creature of a man dared not show his face to the girl and said, 'Take as many as you like...for your sister.'

The next day, the girl returned and she brought some freshly baked pastries for the prince. She knocked at his door and said, 'Oh prince! Oh prince! Let me in, I've brought you cupcakes!'" By that time, Tayla was out cold. Her deep, even breaths were beautifully rhythmic, and soon, I knew, she'd be better.

Victor whispered, "And the beauty and the wildcat fell in love and lived happily ever after."

I reached out and touched his hand, "Thank you."

He shrugged lightly, "I might as well get used to it. I haven't been a good father before...I wanna learn."

I smiled, "I'm here to help."

**X**


	45. Issue 45

**The Ways Of The Heart**

**RPAU**

_1_

I dipped my head back and sunk into the plush hotel couch. The dress I wore as my cover hitched up a bit, showing a little more leg. After all this time, I still got it. A group of college age boys walked by, their heads turning to see the beautiful starlet of their playboy fantasies stretched out across the soft burgundy suede. I was waiting for my partner, a merc by the name of Victor Creed.

I hoped he was good looking.

I was sipping on single malt scotch when _he_ started down the stairs. He was dressed designer, a brand any true female would know ten miles away. He was _fucking huge._ He could probably snap me like a twig.

That was when I knew he was my man.

I sat up, the golden silk slipping down my legs like a waterfall. He looked directly at me as I threw back the scotch and left burgundy lipstick on the glass. He gave me a predatory smile as I strode in his direction, the soft _tap-tap-tap_ of my heels matched the rhythm of a pulse. The closer I got, the wider the grin became, until I couldn't help but echo his gaze. _This man is such a turn on._

"Victor Creed?"

His hand extended, "The merc with no name, I s'pose?" Once I put mine in his, he yanked me forward and crushed me against his chest. I felt his claws tracing my spine and resisted the urge to melt. "They call you Slasher, don't they? Funny, that was my name once."

He was all hard muscle. All power, all strength. He smelled sensual, like burning wood. My eyes flickered up to his face, "You can call me Nikki."

"That's cute frail" he chuckled.

"Who the hell are you calling frail?" My hips brushed his just the right way. He growled and his claws might've pierced my skin if I'd moved again, "Let's get this taken care of."

I noticed rather shocked looks as we walked away together. Ninety percent of these people had never been this close to two mutants, but I could also be sure that in the time Victor had been operating out of this hotel, they'd never seen a woman turned on by his advances.

We climbed into our car together, and our ride began in nearly painful silence.

I slid my legs onto his lap, earning his gaze, "You're a mutant."

He showed his canines, "Sabretooth."

"I can see why."

After another moment, I tried to break the silence again, "You're a grouchy tomcat, aren't you?"

He lifted me rather roughly, causing me to climb on his lap. His claws dug into my back, "Unless you'd rather take it hard and rough, right here, shut up frail."

I felt drops of blood well up against my skin. I turned in his arms slowly, like prey trying not to provoke her predator, and sat on his lap. I slid my legs over his other and cooed in his ear, "What if I'd like it?"

He glared into my eyes. He was getting as turned on as I was. I sighed and sunk into the crook of his arm, making him growl, "We'll see how frail you are, won't we?"

I chuckled darkly, "Sure we will."

Excruciating hours slipped by until we finally broke down the peaceful atmosphere of the little rich boy party. The security couldn't take us if we were blind and deaf. It was a royal joke that our current employer would want us both together, like they had some kind of threat. Maybe their threat wasn't home.

My dress was sticking to my skin, soaked in the blood of our kills. Glazed eyes stared back at me. I took a little spare cash, just for fun. The blood money was nice, like it usually was.

We had to foot it back to our hotel, but it was alright. He'd loosened up and so had I. I had a little more blood and alcohol in my system, and he had a whole lot of tension relieved.

I looked at him, "Not so surly now, are we tomcat?"

He grasped me around my hips and lifted me up, tossing me over his shoulder like a caveman, "Nope. And if you're going to keep calling me that, kitten, I'll just have to teach you a lesson."

"Kitten? What happened to frail?" I ran my hands over his back, feeling his muscles ripple.

He ran his hand up the inside of my leg, almost to my thigh as he purred, "You think you're frail?"

"Nope" I said quietly.

"Good" he growled.

Only when we were closer to the hotel did he put me down and let me walk. I scented him, catching both arousal and a tinge of fear. I pulled myself up the stairs. It was after midnight and the halls seemed abandoned. Maybe too many people had witnessed Victor in a blind rage to stay out. I approached the room and he said quietly, "What're you doin' kitten?"

"This is my room" I said back, trying not to wake the surely sleeping humans.

"This is mine" he said.

A moment of realization struck me, "Cheap bastard thought one of us would bail."

I put my hand on the frame and felt his hands on my hips, "Nah. I saw your picture and told him we were gonna share." He slid his hands inside my dress through the slits up the legs, and I sunk into his hold as I felt his claws stroking over my veins. He could kill me, but it made my blood sing. I leaned my head against his chest and said, "You still wanna see how frail I am?"

He nearly instantly shoved open the door and pushed me onto my back on the bed. He was a huge, hulking monster, but hell if I cared. His claws shredded the dress and my skin, lightly. His mouth descended on mine, his taste as sensual as his scent. He nipped my lip, blood welling up, and licked it away. I moaned into his mouth and rocked my hips against his.

"That's good kitten" he purred against my mouth, "Scream for me." His claws dug into my hips, and I let out a cry. I pulled on his shirt, yanking a few buttons open as he simply shredded the material under my hands for me. I kissed lightly down his jaw. He was rather gentle for a killer. I'd never felt more alive as he made love to me. I'd never felt more whole. It was shortly then that I figured, there was no way in hell I was going to shake this man.

I'd already given in.

_Seven Months Later_

I was about an inch from being married to Victor. I was five months pregnant with our son, and I just had the biggest feeling that life wasn't going to be happy forever.

"Victor!" I called, rather miserable.

He padded in from the kitchen with my food, "Here y'are kitten. Now please stop crying. You crying is killing me."

He held my face in his hands and I busted up in tears again. He sighed and cradled me in his arms, "Baby, what's bothering you? Talk to me."

"You don't want me anymore" I sobbed. The thought was irrational, but then again, most of them _were_ lately.

"Baby, that's not true" he murmured. He ran his lips very gently across my neck, "I just don't wanna hurt ya."

My tears came harder, "I'm fat."

He chuckled, "You're beautiful. You're so beautiful." He nuzzled my hair and purred in my ear, "I wanna kiss every inch of you. Pregnant or not, you're beautiful darlin. An' I always want you."

My heart warmed as he gently tucked my face against his chest, sighing. I picked up a french fry he picked up for me, dipped it in ketchup and munched on it quietly. He chuckled softly, "That's it baby. Keep our boy big an' strong. He's gonna kick my ass one day."

"Vic?" I murmured.

He stayed quiet, listening intently.

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

The scars on his upper chest still had bandages on it. Mostly because my mood swings had gotten the worst of me again. I usually hit him, and it wasn't really that hard on him, but I nearly ran him through last time.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his body as closely as we could get. He kissed me gently and purred, "It's okay darlin. You lost it, I lost it, I'm just glad I didn't hurt you." His fingers ran through my hair and I moaned softly, sinking my head against his arm.

"Another headache?"

I nodded.

He scooped me up and carried me into the bedroom of our tiny rented apartment in Seattle, gently laying me down on the bed with the light off. He sat down beside me, stroking my hair off my face. The good thing was the baby was going to be strong, no matter what, because of my healing factor. The bad part was I couldn't get rid of the pain. A wave of agony struck my stomach and I put my hand right over the spot. I gasped, surprised at the force of this one.

"Shh darlin. He's fine. Shh."

"I know. He's using his claws again" I said through hard breaths. It felt about as hard as a contraction the second time, and I cried out. Victor climbed into bed with me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders to keep me supported against his chest while his other hand massaged my stomach. Each swipe was getting harder, and I could feel them as they grew. It felt like I was a baby scratching post. These pains had been happening for a month, our son clawing me from the inside, and sometimes they happened for hours. The worst had been two weeks ago-he'd kept it up for eight hours. Victor had been more or less in agony with me. This time, it didn't last as long. After about fifteen minutes, it stopped, and the pain in my head was throbbing. Victor fluffed the pillows and lay me down, whispering, "Get some rest darlin. Want me to stay?"

I nodded. With a soft touch, he rubbed my stomach until I fell asleep.


	46. Issue 46

**Author's Note- Cew, there's a reason this is book three. Logan's had his time for two books, but now Victor's one of the main characters who's going to be a major part of this. There's a whole lot going on here, it's not simply Logan/Nikki/Victor-there are other characters and other major points in the plot. Just hold your horses a while, ok? Thanks.**

_2_

_Four months later_

"Victor I fucking _hate_ you! This is all your fault!" I shouted. I dug my nails into his thigh as he drove us to the hospital.

He let out a growl, "Take your nails outta my skin Nikki."

Another contraction hit, harder, "GODDAMN IT VICTOR!" I was close to hitting him. He took one hand off the wheel and wrapped his arm around me, offering his hand. I clutched it and buried my face into his side, "It...hurts." I gritted my teeth.

"Doesn't it always?" he tried to purr comfortingly, even if my grip on his hand was nothing short of the jaws of life.

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, "Shit Victor he's not going to wait!"

"Take deep breaths darlin, please. For me" he murmured.

He just barely pulled in when I felt a stabbing pain, ripping into my skin. I couldn't get out a scream, rather a choked gasp.

"Holy shit" Victor murmured. He lifted me into his arms. The hospital wasn't as good as the human places, but I didn't care. I trusted my own kind and only my own kind. I couldn't help the agony that washed over me. I couldn't get out screams. I couldn't hear Victor. But I did feel my baby's claws piercing my skin, clawing his way out.

Finally, the cry of agony ripped free, "GET HIM OUT!" Words were flying around us, but I couldn't hear them. I couldn't feel anything but my baby. I felt claws, and I reached to touch them. Victor growled as someone tried to move my hand away. My voice was giving out as I choked out, "Just get him out!"

Nobody had time. It sounded like ripping paper, but I knew it wasn't. The doctor took a step back, his face turning a grayish green. I looked at Victor, "Get him _out!"_

It was probably shock that made me unable to feel anything as Victor's claws aided our baby's. I let myself relax when I heard his wailing cry.

"I don't know how you knew kitten, but he's a boy" Victor murmured, placing him in my arms. He was covered in my blood, but the minute he saw my face, his wailing quieted. I stroked his tiny face, and though he was probably hungry, he nuzzled me as if to apologize for his violent birth. The agony of my body stitching back together hadn't hit yet. I smiled and kissed his forehead softly, "Vincent...my baby boy. Vincent." I kissed his tiny face softly. He was so smart already...his breaths were so peaceful. Victor wrapped his arms around us both, touching his face gently too, "He's got my eye color, but the look in 'em is all you."

I looked into his eyes. It was true. There was such love and compassion in his eyes, and he was a newborn.

"He's a good soul" I whispered, "He's going to be powerful."

Victor didn't speak. I knew what he saw. He scooted in where there was room and whispered, "He'll have the whole goddamn world if he asks for it."

I nuzzled him and held our baby between us, "You won't be your father Victor...I'd kill you if you were."

He laughed softly, "I know. Thank you."

_Three months later_

I'd taken a near perminant leave from killing people. I didn't want anything to do with it. So naturally, Victor went out and made us money by doing it, but I stayed at home with Vincent. The tiny apartment looking over the city was really home. It was residential, and our downstairs neighbor was a little old lady named Charlotte who I picked up groceries for whenever I went. She absolutely loved and adored Vincent, and most mutants. The building was nearly entirely mutant populated. We flew the American flag and planted flowers in the window boxes.

It was also Victor's turn to get groceries.

I spent most of my days looking out the window all the way to the space needle and beyond. Sometimes if the breeze came in just right, I could spell the pacific. I always wondered if this was it...if this could be our lives. Vincent could go to a school where mutants were the norm, make friends, play on a playground with other boys and girls who were just like him. I stopped thinking about myself, and about my son.

Victor, on the other hand, was a slightly tougher nut to crack usually, but on the subject of Vincent, he always caved. I was convinced he'd give him the world if he could...and he could.

Vincent was already pretty big, especially for a little boy. He liked to listen to stories, and when I went out for tea with Miss Charlotte, we sat on her window seat and let the air in and he simply adored it.

"You're going to have the best life I can give you baby" I murmured to him as I touched my nose to his.

He batted those beautiful amber eyes at me and cooed. He always had such a pretty coo. He was the most beautiful little boy...

"Kitten, I'm home" Victor said as he walked in. He dropped his bag on the floor and went over to us. The news was on, as usual, and Victor's dinner was on the counter in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck and Vincent's forehead, "You guys okay?"

I smiled, "Yeah. We're fine."

Victor wandered into the bedroom and said, "Dinner on the counter?"

"Yeah" I said as I grabbed Vincent his teething ring. Just the tips of his baby fags were peering out of his gums, but I knew they hurt. I just knew so much about my little boy.

Victor was smiling when I looked up. "What?"

"You look at him like you're talking with your mind" he said quietly, walking to us, "I think it's beautiful."

I couldn't help but smirk, "Watch your reputation tomcat. You never know who's listening."


	47. Issue 47

_3_

It started out like any other Tuesday. I picked up groceries down the block for Miss Charlotte and a couple things for Vincent and I headed back toward our building.

There was an unmarked black car turning slowly down the street.

Nobody thought second of it, but I knew the signs. The car was polished to the point of chrome, the windows were tinted, and I saw the drivers behind the glass. Men in black.

Weapon X.

I ducked down the alley and took the scenic route home. If Weapon X was here, then that meant the life Victor and I tried to create...they knew. The horror pierced my chest before I could feel anything else.

_Vincent..._

I ran into Miss Charlotte's apartment and grasped Vincent gently off the couch as I left her the groceries on the table. I hurriedly scribbled her a note similar to the one I planned on leaving for Victor before I took off upstairs.

Vincent was sleeping, blessedly peaceful. My heart was hammering in my chest. I grabbed everything I owned out of the drawers and crammed them into my suitcase-then the same from my few things that belonged in the closet. I whipped out my memo book, glancing over my checklist and making sure I'd packed mine. Darting out into the kitchen, I dropped the suitcase next to the couch and hurriedly packed Vincent's bag. I didn't have time to take the tags off the toys I bought him-just cram them into a duffel bag and prey to god I had the time to escape. Once our things were packed, I picked Vincent up out of his cradle and looked at his sleeping face. I couldn't hear any danger, so I walked over to the kitchen and took my time writing in legible letters.

_Victor,_

_I'm so sorry I don't have time to explain. For our sake, I have to go. I promise we'll see each other again._

_I love you. Trust me._

_Nikki_

There wasn't much else to be said. Grabbing the three bags of necessities, I looked back at the world we knew...and cradled Vincent close as I ran for my Jeep.

What happened after that was a big blur as far as I knew about Victor's life. He wandered and met Lottie, and the first time they met he almost killed her. Somehow, they fell for each other. I, on the other hand, was a more difficult story.

I brought Vincent to London to live with my friend Brooke, who I'd known since childhood. She was a vampire, and still the exact same as she had been, of course. I became a killer again, and one day, I killed my ex boyfriend, a vampire named Cassius. I worked with a man named Zander, and I spent four years away from my son to try and start a life with him. Needless to say...it didn't go well. He killed our infant daughter. So I killed him. I was in the worst possible state when I stumbled back to the world, and met Logan, and collected Vincent. A few more years passed before I ran into Victor again...

but this time, hell or high water, Weapon X or Mephesto himself, I'd be a goddamn fool to let him go...

even when my other half was his arch rival.

**X**


	48. Issue 48

**Scars**

_Did I say something stupid?_

_There goes one more mistake_

_Do I bore you with my problems?_

_Is that why you turn away?_

_Do you know how hard I've tried to become what you want me to be?_

_This is all that I've got, this is all that I'm not_

_All that I'll ever be_

_I've got flaws, I've got faults, keep searching for your perfect heart_

_It doesn't matter who you are..._

_We all have our scars_

_1_

I felt lucky today. Lucky to have an amazing girlfriend that I love with all my heart, lucky that my father and stepfather weren't trying to kill each other anymore, and my mom didn't mind anything I did much anymore...

So I was out on the Ducati, driving. Fast. I felt like my blood was singing. The speed and the strength and the power that came with mastering the untamed, rugged land on the silver bike that Daken used to have before he was reduced to the younger brother was making my body glow. I let out a shout of joy as I tore through the underbrush.

But quickly cut the motor when about ten miles ahead, I heard birds flying in a frenzy. My senses were on high alert. I left the bike where it was and took a few steps forward. My hair felt static singed, and I turned, slowly. The predator inside me was waking. My claws extended just a little bit, so when I touched the tree to move on I left five long claw marks in the bark.

Something large and black and hard struck me in the face. I stepped back, closing my eyes to block the little blood that trickled from my temple. Even blinded, I could still hear. My attacker was approaching again, swifter. I swung and caught blood other than my own. A yelp. _Beginner's mistake._ Another swipe. A broken gun clattered to the ground. I got a knee to the gut, and a sharp pain in my neck. I crumpled to the ground unwillingly. The sense of danger hadn't passed. I growled as I heard shifting. I cracked open my other eye, and if I had the time, I would've cursed.

A heavy rock came crashing onto my skull first, and it all went black.

The next thing I knew, my head was throbbing, and I was groggy, but I could move. That was an added bonus. I wiped the drying blood off my face and looked up.

The windows of the Jeep were dirty, and I couldn't see into the front, but it wasn't moving. I reached up to rip the roof open and was met with a stab lower down my spine than the pain in my neck. It almost felt familiar...

"Stay down" I heard a growl as my attacker's scent filled the air around me. By the sound of his voice, he was probably close to my age.

"Who the hell taught you to use a gun, you stupid shit? You shoot it, not hit people in the face with it" I snarled.

I felt the stabbing pain twist and I cried out, "You little-!"

"Quiet."

Claws were held under my neck, and I looked at him, "You're that kid from the Savage Land, aren't you?"

They dug deeper, piercing me, "How do you know me?"

"WILL YOU STOP THAT?" I shouted. He dug his claws deeper. I felt them pierce my stomach and I hauled off and hit him, sending him crashing into the window of the Jeep. It was shatterproof and didn't even crack. He lunged back, and in such close quarters with me wounded, he won. He climbed on my back and held my hands behind me, "Tell me, before I drive my claws into your skull."

"My mother's your father's wife you little shit!" I shouted, "That makes me your brother!"

He climbed off, staring at me. He didn't look anything like Logan. The pieces fit together rather quickly. The Weapon X grade gun, the lack of training...

"Shit. You're not him. You're made just like him."

The look on his face became furious, "DON'T SAY THAT!"

I heard a click. Another. A beep.

"You have a healing factor?" I asked.

He paused a moment, "No...why?"

"Sounds good for me then" I muttered, and the car went up. I scrambled free and fell to my knees in the wet grass nearby. My spine was trying to heal when I saw the huge, Romulus-looking creature. But I knew that was impossible, Romulus was dead. My eyes widened. It seemed suddenly, like I'd rather go face to face with him in the forest where no one could hear me scream, than this.

I was flung like a rag doll and fell hard into a tree that fell a long time before I did. I scrambled away, pain stabbing at my skull and back. He advanced. _The bike!_ Rule number one I'd been taught about fighting was never turn your back on your enemy...it was time to forget that. I took off in a dead sprint, trying to make it. An animal grunt, and pain shot through my ankles too. I fell. Blood welled up as the tendons weren't entirely cut, but I wasn't going anywhere any time soon. I felt a ripping through my skin, my clothes being torn and soaked with blood. It didn't take me long to black out from blood loss.

The dark of night was upon me when I opened my eyes. The big creature of a failed experement was gone, but my pain wasn't. I reached in my blood-soaked pocket and grabbed my phone. I called Lottie.

"Vincent! Where are you?" she shouted. Her voice was worried, so beautiful, so...

I tried to hold in the emotion overwhelming me, "Lottie, who's out?"

"Victor's looking for you" she said.

"Call him and tell him to track the Ducati. About a mile away is where I am."

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

I couldn't answer. The tears were rolling down my cheeks faster than I imagined. My arms were shaking as I tried to haul myself up and failed. Her voice was soft in my ear, soothing. She knew what I was doing, and encouraged me to try again. I heard Victor approaching and let her go.

His expression changed from worry to shock to pure fury. He went to me, scenting the air as he scooped me up like I was a kid. He growled, "Logan'll come back for the bike. S'ok cub, we're going home."

I don't think I'd ever been happier to hear those words.


	49. Issue 49

**Cew- Yes, the last story was an AU. As far as the traditional story goes, yes, that was what happened. Logan isn't happy about Victor and Nikki having feelings for each other, and he is territorial of her, but he also knows that it's better to let her make up her own mind than do something foolish and lose her.**

_You say don't act like a child_

_But what if it's a father I need?_

_It's not like you don't know what you got yourself into_

_Don't tell me I'm the one who's naive_

_Do you know how hard I've tried to become who you want me to be?_

_2_

My body was weighed down by exhaustion, but the cool rag Lottie wiped over my forehead, cleaning away the dry blood, dragged me back from the abyss of sleep. My hand closed over hers, keeping it over my eye as my forehead stung, "Little bastard hit me pretty hard, huh?"

She moved closer, her other hand resting on my cheek, "Hey Vinny. How do you feel?"

I looked at her, her beautiful face, her soft lips turned up in a smile, and I echoed the grin, "Like a million bucks."

She laughed, "I was worried. You didn't even make it to the bike...you were still bleeding when Victor carried you in."

"How long have I been out?" I forced myself onto my forearms, a sharp pain striking between my shoulder blades and traveling the length of my spine.

"About two hours. Your mom called Doctor McCoy in. After he looked you over, Victor cleaned you up, but your head kept bleeding..." There was pain in her violet eyes. I reached out, cradling her face and stroking her cheek.

"I'm fine baby, I promise." I brought her closer and lay back. She smiled as she leaned over me and kissed me. Her lips tasted like strawberries. I purred and parted her lips with my tongue, the ache in my back giving way to a growing warmth in my face. _Damn my genetics!_ She melted against me and curled up beside me. I rested my hand on her back as we kissed, keeping her close, reassuring her and comforting her the best possible way I could. _Yes, I'm here. I love you._

I heard distant voices, but Lottie's breath hitched and drew my attention away. The soft, salty scent of her tears broke our kiss. I cradled her face and brought her to lay on my chest. An ache pulsed to my ribs, but I'd take the pain to comfort her.

"I was just scared..." she murmured, wiping her eyes. I caught her hand and did it for her, stroking my fingers down her cheek, "Nobody can keep me away from you. Nobody. Nothing." I grasped her face and softly kissed her a few more times.

"What do you mean?"

Victor's words mimicked Nikki's thoughts all the way.

He sighed, rubbing his temples, trying to avoid Victor's anger, "It's up to you how you break this to him, but his recovery will be at its typical pace."

Victor looked enraged. He didn't say anything more. Nikki sighed heavily, and gritting her teeth, she murmured, "Was he awake for it? Will he have flashbacks or anything?"

"From what he's told me, no. He's only been entirely conscious or entirely unconscious."

She sighed. Her heart was heavy. She held back the tears and the rage. Logan went to her side, wrapping her warmly in his arms.

Victor snarled, "I'm going to hunt this son of a bitch down and take care of this, understood?"

Nikki jerked her head, a silent understanding. When Logan didn't try to stop him, he stormed out.

My arms were wrapped tightly around Lottie. So far, I hadn't let Laura or Tayla near her. It just...it didn't feel right. Her claws traced my chest lightly.

I kissed her neck softly, "I want you."

She purred and cupped my face, her eyes meeting mine, "No. Not until you're healed, understood?"

I groaned, "You're teasing me. God you _know_ I want you. Please?"

Her claws very lightly traced my jaw, bringing a moan from deep in my chest. The moan became a purr of satisfaction as she stroked my face. I tried to hold in the sounds I was making, but it felt like I was a cat she was just stroking, it was just like pure pleasure...

I heard a tap at the door that stopped Lottie's stroking. I glanced over and groaned, "Mom, please. I've been through hell, let me have my fun." Then I noticed her eyes were red. I almost bolted up in bed, except my body was heavy. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Lottie, maybe you should head outside" she said as she moved closer.

My grip tightened around Lottie's waist, "Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of her."

She sighed, like she was older than Victor. There was no other way to describe it, but the way she sat on the bed was like a lead weight sinking into the ocean. It made my chest tighten up anxiously.

"Honey, what do you remember about the fight?"

"Not much...why?" My heart tightened up. Was I paralized? Would I not heal? What was wrong with me? Or had Victor done something stupid? That made my chest tighten a bit more. I was _just_ starting to like him too...

Her hand gripped mine as she murmured, "Honey...that thing wasn't human."

"I know that" I said quietly, the weight on my chest was crushing my voice, "We aren't either."

"I'm only telling you because Logan and Victor said it would be better if you didn't know...and Hank's professional opinion was that you should."

"Tell me what?"

The moment was like stabbing into my flesh and dragging the knife through the wound. "What, mom, what?"

Her voice was tiny, and her words pierced Lottie before they registered in my mind. Lottie was crying before I even really let the words register. Her arms were around me, soothing me, and my mother searched my face. I looked into her eyes, not comprehending. The words set in, though, after a long moment. The stabbing pain seemed to get worse.

"What did you just say?" My voice was strangled.

I felt my grip tighten around Lottie as a few sexist thoughts ran through my head. She didn't repeat herself. _She's lying...they're pranking me. This only happens to girls._

Finally, she repeated herself, "Vincent...you were raped."

And I broke down into Lottie's arms.


	50. Issue 50

_Come on just let it go_

_These are things you can't control_

_Your expectations, your explanations_

_Don't make sense to me_

_You and your alternatives_

_Don't send me to your therapist_

_Deep down I know what you need_

_and I'm not sure that's what I want to be_

_3_

It had been two nights since, and I hadn't slept. Every time I tried, my mind went crazy, imagining the monster on top of me, holding me still...I didn't have to be gay to know the mechanics of how it happened. It made me tense and whimper every time I thought of it.

I held Lottie in my arms, cradling her against my chest as I lay against my pillows. My body was still recovering, but the lack of sleep was taking a toll...

_Arms, too strong to be from my family, holding me down. A sharp, intense pain pierced my whole body. I screamed out, but no one heard me. I tore at the foliage around me-gripping the earth as I was dragged backward. I heard a growl in my ear, a voice I'd heard only in makeshift terrorist video._

_"Do you enjoy being my bitch, Creed?" Claws, digging into my sides. Terror, pain...and Romulus._

Lottie shook my shoulders, "Vincent! Wake up!"

I dug my claws into the sheets and let out a strangled cry, hot tears coursing down my face. She nuzzled into my chest, her arms wrapping around my neck, "It's okay. It was just a dream. It's okay."

I looked at her, "I felt it..."

Her fingers lightly knotted in my shirt, "And I've felt every dream where you kissed me. Every dream where you held me in your arms and kept me safe." Her words didn't reassure me as well as her cuddling, "You're mine. I'd kill any other bitch that got in the way."

I laughed, wiping my eyes, "You're the first girl that really loved me like that..."

Her cheeks flamed bright pink, "I want to be the only one."

My heart melted, "You will be."

Her soft skin felt beautiful under my hands. She purred as she leaned into my touch. "Did Victor come back?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I've been here with you since you got back."

My heart warmed. I sighed. "You're too good to me."

"You're full of shit...I hurt you." The guilt on her face was too much.

I stroked her face, "If you want to fuck my father, who am I to stop you?"

She turned bright red, "I-I don't!"

"You're a horrible liar" I said. I couldn't stop an amused smile from crossing my face, "But no threesomes."

She smacked my shoulder rather hard, and then realized what she'd done. Her smile flipped to a frown. I growled playfully, "You're lucky I can't tackle you. I'd pin you down on this bed and show you what I can do."

She purred, "You mean what you're the best at?"

I purred in reply, "I love you, woman."

My door banged open, and I almost jumped, "Fuck Victor!"

He looked at me as if he was just realizing I was there, "How ya doing cub?"

"Fine" I muttered. Lottie was stroking my hair, soothing the anxiety I felt.

"It's been taken care of" he said as he perched on the edge of my bed.

I didn't know what to say. "Thank you" rushed out of my lungs.

He nodded. We all remained silent for a moment before he leaned in, kissing my forehead. I tensed. I didn't see it coming, and it was more than a little uncharacteristic of him. I was waiting for the twist, the 'and-I-tested-him-out-you-had-nothing-to-have-nightmares-about' or something he was sure to throw at me. He got up, rather surly, and left the room.

When my pulse returned to normal and there was no threat of being killed, I looked at Lottie, "That was shockingly nice."

She nodded. I kissed her gently and whispered, "Go talk to him." I could see she was dying to.

She got up and scurried out, but that didn't mean I didn't listen. Her footsteps slowed as she reached him, and I heard it with such a clarity I could almost see with my ears.

She caught his arm, "Thank you. For doing this...for everything."

He shrugged, "He's my kid, an' Nikki would've ripped my balls off if I didn't."

She contained a laugh, probably giving him that smile I loved so much, "Still, thank you."

I wasn't jealous in the slightest when the sounds of him bringing her closer reached me. I heard his skin brush hers-his hand cupping her face-and his voice, hardly above a growl, "Thank you for giving me a chance, kitten."

I wanted to tune out the rest, but I couldn't. As badly as it hurt, I admitted to myself, I'd rather she loved him too than leave me all together. He kissed her, long and slow. I couldn't hear his tongue brushing hers, but when I shut my eyes, the thought haunted me deeper than my nightmare.

By the time Lottie returned, I had on a brave face, and it actually ran a degree of depth. I loved her enough to let her be happy...and she did love me, enough to come back...and that was good enough.

**X**


	51. Issue 51

**Cew- No, Victor doesn't have two girls. Vincent's a boy, and, as you're sure, the baby on the way is going to be a little girl.**

**My muse for this one was Forever by Chris Brown. Enjoy.**

**Forever**

"Cessily told me you're not going to prom."

I looked up from my book as Kyle sat down on the cushion of the wide window seat near me, "Prom is stupid."

"Still. You never went to school before you went there. This is the first time the X-Men had a prom, and they want you to go. I want to go with you."

I could've dropped my book, "Are you asking me to prom, Kyle?"

He smirked, "Maybe."

Later that afternoon, I felt like there was nothing more joyful than the sound of grass brushing Anita's feet. She ran back and forth between Kyle and I, and unceremoniously leapt into his arms, screaming at the top of her lungs, "DADDY!"

The word had been less of a surprise to him than it was to me since she'd begun saying it about a week ago.

He sunk back into the grass holding her and saying quietly, "Anita."

I looked at him for a long, long moment. The sun reflected off his glossy blond hair, his arms around the daughter that wasn't his, that he still loved. I couldn't help but feel my heart tighten a bit. He relaxed, his voice gentle as he told Anita a story.

"Did you ever hear the story about the most beautiful little princess in the world?"

"I have something to ask" Kyle murmured between kisses.

I sighed, "We're going to prom."

He stood and gestured to me, "Up with you."

I smiled and stood. He took my hands and dropped to one knee. My eyes widened. My heart stopped. Lottie put the TV on mute. She and Vincent glanced over to us.

"Laura Kinney Howlett, I love you. I want you to be mine in every way physically possible. I feel nothing but love for you. I want to be the father of your child, the humble worshipper of your body, and the safe harbor for your heart. You're a real girl now, Pinocchio. I need you. I love you. Will you marry me?"

His eyes glowed with the utmost certainty. My heart warmed and broke, and stitched back together. "Get up" I whispered, holding back tears.

He rose, confused, and I threw myself in his arms. Our lips found each other as hot tears poured down my face, "Yes, I'll marry you."

After a moment, he laughed, "Laura Gibney."

"It's the twenty first century...at least let me hyphenate my name."

Naturally, everybody had a fit, especially Cessily, having not been there. Kyle ran his claws gently against my stomach as he brought me closer.

"I can't believe it! Are you sure? You don't want to end up cursed like Logan and Nikki" Cessily gushed to me.

I sighed as Kyle's hand slipped around my hips and pulled me onto his chest. He purred quietly, resting his hand over my lower back.

"That's really hot" I heard Megan say, and I laughed.

"He's extraordinary" I murmured, smiling at him.

The platinum set diamond felt suddenly heavy on my finger. I blushed as he slipped the shoulder of my shirt down a bit, kissing and nipping the skin he exposed.

"-So I seriously think you need to borrow it for prom tomorrow!" Cessily was so excited, I didn't feel like crushing her enthusiasm.

"Thank you" I said, and let out a yelp that made me bite my lip before it turned into a moan.

Kyle sunk his teeth into the base of my neck, hard enough to draw blood, and ran his tongue over the wound. He closed his mouth over it and sucked on it. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Laura?" Cessily asked.

"Can I call you back?" I said.

"...Sure..."

I hung up my phone and looked at him. He slid his hands to cup my backside and he flipped us rather quickly, my phone missing the nightstand entirely and falling into the open drawer on a stack of post-its. He ground his denim-clad lower body against mine, and drew soft moans from my lips. He clutched my wet hair and turned my head to suck on the hickey he made, making it deeper and more painful. I bucked my hips against his as I felt his tongue dip into the bite mark his canines left in my shoulder.

He sunk his claws into the backs of my thighs, hitching my legs up around his waist. I let out a cry of pleasure mixed with pain, my nails digging into his shoulders. He purred, "Laura...please. _Please._ I need you...we're engaged now, can I please make love to you?"

I looked at him. His eyes were pleading. His muscles against mine called me, like a siren song. I pushed him back a bit, but before he could give up, I slid the oversized sweatshirt off my body. He looked at me, his eyes glowing with a mixture of love and lust as he leaned in to kiss me, "You're so beautiful...inside and out baby. So beautiful."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him closer. I slipped off his shirt and reveled in the feeling of his warm, strong muscles as he wrapped his arms around me. There was passion in his hold; a worshipping type of love I never thought I'd _see_ before. Before I could take another breath, he lowered his lips to mine.

And thus began the best night of my life.

**X**


	52. Issue 52

**Cew- Victor is technically not seeing them both, but attracted to them both. Nikki, clearly, has harbored some feelings for Victor that she really hasn't acted upon until recent, and yes, Logan knows about it all, he just doesn't always let on what he knows. She and Logan will always have a connection that she and Victor don't have, but that doesn't really stop her from falling pretty hard for him too. I don't think she's selfish at all, I think she's a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it. After all the lot of them have been through, they're less likely to crack under pressure like people who've only lived one lifetime, than just turn into Grey Gardens.**

**Prom Night**

Vincent had that worshipping look in his eyes, the one that utterly melted my heart every time I saw it. Usually, I pretended I didn't notice, but today seemed to be a special occasion.

"I have a question for you" he said as I ascended the stairs to his side.

"Shoot" I said, smiling as I leaned over the railing next to him.

"You wanna crash prom tonight?" he gave me a wicked smile, "It's not like anyone would be able to tell the difference after Hellion spikes the punch."

I felt my face turn bright pink, "I'd love to."

He walked away, beckoning for me to follow, and I did. Unofficially, we'd moved in together. I technically had a room, but I didn't sleep there. My things weren't even in it. He respected my privacy, and I his, so our little arrangement worked out perfectly. He entered his closet and produced the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Oh my god, where did you get this?" I whispered, touching the soft, silver material of the dress he handed me.

"The internet" he replied coyly, "Try it on."

My heart warmed, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I raced into the bathroom and dressed-tying my hair up in a ponytail atop my head. I felt like Cinderella.

I stepped out and his gaze turned from warm to positively enamored in under a heartbeat. He stood and moved to me, his arms wrapping around me as he murmured, "You're the most beautiful angel I've ever seen."

"I don't have shoes to go with this" I murmured, embarrassed at the attention.

He produced a box and set it in my hands, "Then what are these?"

I melted, gazing at the silver flats in the box. I almost teared up, "Glass slippers."

His lips were very gentle on my forehead as he pulled me into a tight, warm embrace, "You're more beautiful than Cinderella any day."

It was like he read my mind.

Laura was in a beautiful, sparkling blue prom dress. Kyle looked like a 90's era boy band rocker in his tux-without-a-jacket look. I couldn't wear the dress Vincent got me, it felt too...informal. He didn't mind, rather, he took me shopping, and now I felt like I was going to a ball in Red Square. My dress was gorgeous, big and red and ruffled, and while I made comments about looking like a vampire, Vincent gripped my waist when we got to the stairs, and he murmured in my ear, "You're the most beautiful girl in the world. Tonight, and every night."

I was sure at least half of our pictures had my cheeks flaming red in them.

It was different than anything I'd ever seen, I'd give it that. Twilight, Glee, none of the proms were anything like this. Couples were dancing in midair, everyone was letting loose and having fun. Vincent pulled me out into the crowd, and I clung to his hand as he pulled me tightly against his chest. He sighed, kissing my neck as he purred, "This is perfect for us."

Nobody looked at us twice. We danced through ten solid songs before the slow dances set in. People were wearing down, but for us, we could dance all night. Teenage Dream faded into an Enrique song I couldn't pronounce. Vincent's hand rested on my back while he twirled the end of my ponytail on his fingers of his other hand. I simply clung to him, my head on his shoulder. The sweet things he whispered in my ear were better than the music.

"You're an angel, you know that? So pure, so beautiful, and everything I've ever wanted in a woman" his soft purr filled my head, blocking out all my other thoughts. I felt like I was on air, nothing but he and I in the world. He moved his hand from my hair to hold my face, bringing my gaze to meet his. His eyes looked like liquid gold, smoldering and intense, "I love you."

I felt my knees give as I sunk into his arms, "I love you too."

"I have a surprise for you." I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I nodded. He smiled, "When we get home." I nodded again. He cupped my cheek, and kissed me with the kind of romance women wished they had. I melted. I absolutely and utterly melted. If people were looking, I didn't know. My head was swirling with a mix of joy and relaxation. I felt myself sinking, my heart pounding quickly in my chest. He gripped me with a tightness I hardly ever felt-a desperation. He purred as he broke our kiss, "If it were the end of the world, I'd be happy as we are."

My head spun from the lack of air. His claws extended against my back, and I sighed, feeling them through the rather weak fabric of the dress, "Thank you."

He smiled, "I love you. You make me who I am."

I sighed, "Then let's go celebrate who you are. At home."

His smile turned into a wicked grin, "If we make it there."

"Best idea I've heard all night."

**X**


	53. Issue 53

**Cew- Just wait until the end, things will work out for themselves.**

**Love! Valour! And A Lack of Compassion**

There was simply something about her that made Victor unable to back off. He'd lost the space he had in his mind for Nikki to her. Maybe it was because he had no idea why a woman like _her_ would be sleeping with his son. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the beautiful female choosing his cub over him.

One way or another, his eyes kept traveling to the feline body of his son's lover as she sat under the plum tree with him.

He watched as Vincent trailed his lips over Lottie's neck, and the beautiful female simply melted in his arms. His eyes ran over the curves of her body, her flat stomach, her hips, her long, pale legs...he avoided her face. He didn't want to see her happiness.

"What makes her so special?" Victor finally asked Vincent after Lottie had excused herself from the room.

Vincent looked at him in surprise, "I love her. What makes mom so special to you?"

"Yer mom has always been the one person I could go to for anything. She stuck by me."

"Exactly. Lottie and I have practically everything in common. What do you think her life was before this? Why do you think I treat her like the goddess she is?" Vincent looked wistful, yet desperate, "Nobody knows what it's like to suffer the way she and I have. You may think you do, but you don't. It's like living through a holocaust every other day. You wanna know why she's so special? Do you really?"

Victor stayed silent.

"Because if she hadn't said yes...if I never had her, you probably wouldn't be looking at me right now. I _love_ her. Everything I'm not she is." He looked off in the direction she'd left in. "She's the better part of me. I want to be with her forever."

Victor stood up wordlessly and growled, "That's a bunch of bullshit fantasy kid. Pretty girls will rope you in and tear you up. This one is no different."

Vincent's gaze returned to him, and his eyes narrowed. They looked like solid gold. Absolutely unbreakable. He growled, "Just because you can't get what you want doesn't mean she's anything short of a miracle to me."

Over the course of the few weeks she'd been in the house, he'd gone from being interested in her to nearly being obsessed with her. He gave her smoldering looks whenever their gazes happened to cross. If he had the opportunity to be near her, he took it.

He was on the roof that night, trying to escape her scent. It was everywhere, as far as he was concerned. When he really smelled her, felt the heat of her body as she climbed up on the roof nearby, he felt his control weaken.

He grasped her around her tiny waist, crushing her body against his chest. He covered her mouth with his hand as he lowered his mouth to her neck, running his tongue along her neck before sinking his teeth into the spot. She screamed against his palm, the rush of blood from her vein filling his mouth and dripping down his chin. He slashed into her shirt, groping her breasts. She sunk her claws into his thigh, dragging upward. He groaned against her open wound, gripping her wrists as he flung her like a rag doll in front of him. Her eyes were wide and doe-like, and he was sure if he hadn't been holding her wrists, she would've fallen to the roof below them. Her body trembled, and he let her go.

He jumped after her fall. They were on the opposite side of the house from the garden, the place he'd claimed her the first time. There were tears in her eyes as she tried to move. He knew she'd broken a few key vertebrae and most likely a few ribs too, maybe even her skull. She looked at him, her eyes pleading, "Please...stop." He lowered his body over her and tore her shorts cleanly off her skin, as well as her underwear. He looked at her, her blood staining the ground below them, barely visible under the overcast night. He trailed his claw from her hip to her stomach, watching her cry, "Victor please...please. I want you, I do, but I love him...why do you hate them so much? Why can't you just let us be?"

He sunk his claws into her tender muscle as he claimed her. He covered her mouth with his own, keeping her screams muffled. Her screams gave way to moans of submission as tears ran down her face. He pulled her hair and ripped open her lip with his sharp canine. This time, when they finished, he looked down at her, bloody, beaten and broken, and he left her there.

Thunder crashed overhead, making her wince. Rain poured down. Victor was gone, and soon her blood would be too. She lifted herself as best she could and limped toward the house. Her body protested. Over the sounds of the raging storm, she knew no one heard her struggling into the house, up the stairs and into the bathroom she shared with Vincent. She collapsed against the tile, her body trembling violently.

"Lottie? Lottie!" Vincent rushed to her side. His warm skin touched her, and through the pain, she clutched at him. He lifted her into his arm and placed her in the tub, turning on the warm water. He looked at the tattered remains of her clothes that she'd been clutching in her hand, and he didn't say a word. He leaned into her, their noses touching as he massaged her skin gently. She closed her eyes, silent tears falling down her face.

While Vincent comforted Lottie, Victor slept peacefully for the first time since she entered the house.

**X**


	54. Issue 54

**Roses Are Grey, Violets are Black**

I couldn't sleep. This time, it wasn't because of the nightmares, but because I was too big of a fool to protect her. Guilt gnawed at my chest as I held her in my arms. She was exhausted, of course, cleaned religiously and almost all of her was wrapped in bandages. She was completely out cold, her body limp in my arms. I brushed my fingers over her face, tracing the outline of her soft lips, feeling her soft, perfect skin. Her breaths were deep and even and beautiful to me.

I brushed my lips over hers, lightly. The scent of blood still clung to her. I allowed a few tears to slip down my face. He'd hurt her so badly, the fucking hypocrite, saving me and hurting her. I gently lowered her onto the pillows, slipping open my shirt that I gave her to check her wounds. They'd stopped bleeding under the bandages, except for the wound on her shoulder. I gazed at her, almost physically feeling my heart break. She was so beautiful, even if she was bruised. My fingers gently touched the back of her head, just making sure as I lifted her into my arms again. She limply slumped against my arm as I felt down her spine and lightly pressed on her ribs. She whined in her sleep as I pressed on her left side. I lay down with her, buttoning up her/my shirt and kissed her temple gently.

Morning came all too fast, with sleep never gracing me. Her beautiful eyes fluttered open after what seemed like forever.

"Vinny? What're you doing up?" she asked, turning and curling into my chest.

I traced my fingers over her tender spine, "Watching over you. Couldn't sleep."

She purred softly, "Oh baby. Try?"

I shook my head. The softness of her fingers running through my hair drew a purr from my chest.

"Vincent, go to sleep" she said softly, concern in her tone.

I wrapped my arms around her, scenting her softly. I kissed her lips softly, gently, not trying to provoke anything but relaxation. She gasped as my hands found a tender place on her back, pulling away rather roughly.

"Move over" I murmured as she turned onto her stomach. She trusted me, and that was all I wanted. I slid my hands gently against her bruised muscle, releasing all her tension. She gasped and dug her claws into the sheets as I gently started to massage the large bruise on her back. I heard a few bones shift, and moved my hands, "Baby, you should stay in bed today."

She looked up at me as I let her rest, fluffing her pillows, "Stay with me?"

I tucked her in under the light sheet and kissed her softly, "Of course. Let me get us some food, okay?"

She nodded, and I put the remote in her hand, "Just relax. Watch a movie. I'll be back in a few minutes tops." With her second nod, I left the room.

Victor was a dead man, if he was here.

He was in _my_ kitchen, eating _my_ food, drinking _my_ water, and I'd had enough. I grabbed the glass out of his hand and the plate from under him, "Get the fuck out of my house."

He grabbed my wrist and I felt his claw sinking into my vein, "Drop it."

I could've spit in his face, "If I see your flea-bitten hide in my house again, I will make sure you die a slow and horrible death all over again."

"That's no way to speak to your father, pup. If it wasn't for me, ya wouldn't be here." He snapped my wrist like a twig in his hand. I should've faltered against the wave of pain slamming up my arm; instead I smashed the glass into his face.

I was met with a slamming into my ribs that successfuly knocked the wind out of me. I slammed into him, throwing him onto the floor. He punched me in the face, hard enough that I bit my lip and split it. I growled and sunk my claws into his chest. He howled and knocked me clear across the room-my head slamming into hundred year old metal.

He stalked up, and I grinned.

"You're an idiot fer my blood."

"At least I know to cover my family jewels in a fight" I snarled as I slammed the full force of my body through my foot, into his groin. He doubled over, hitting the floor rather hard, "Goddamn!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" my mother shouted.

"Grab the dish and break it over his head" I said, rather overly excited for a little more bloodshed.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort, now what the hell is going on here?"

My eyes narrowed as I glared at the other half of my DNA, "He raped Lottie last night."

"I did nuthin' of the sort! She asked for it!"

"Like hell she did, I bet she asked to be thrown off the roof too, didn't she?" My voice rose an octive as my claws dug into my palms.

It took me a moment to see the heartbroken look on my mother's face. I looked at her, surprised, "Mom?"

Victor didn't meet her eyes. He didn't even look at her as he got up.

It clicked in my mind quickly. I looked at her, "You're sleeping with him?" My voice sounded strangled. Tears were creeping at the edges of her eyes. I rushed to her, hatred filling my blood even more. I wrapped my arms around her, and her words hit me like a truck.

"I'm pregnant."

Victor snorted, "I knew that."

She glared at him as her tears started falling, "You _bastard_." She pulled free of my grip as she said, "He or she is yours, Victor." My arms fell, and Victor froze, "You got a test? I thought you weren't going to tell anybody!" Fury built in his eyes, "Fucking frail!"

She looked at him, her eyes full of pure hatred, "I agree with Vincent, Victor. Get out of my house. You're no father to either of my children." She started shaking her head as her hand traveled to her stomach. A pang of fury-tinted sorrow struck my chest as she said, "I don't want you to be." It wasn't her words that hurt, it was the look on her face. Like I was beyond precious to her. For a moment, my mother didn't look like a hero. She looked just as fragile as the goddess laying in my bed, waiting for me, and I felt the need to be a hero. I stepped between them. Victor's eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, confusion, desperation, even a little fear. He walked out without a word, and I felt my mother's arms wrap around me like I was a little boy again. My hand closed over hers.

"It'll be okay." My voice was stronger, older.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. After the growth spurt, I stood two inches over her. Two inches still wasn't enough to stop me from feeling dwarfed by the level of pain in the room.

**X**


	55. Issue 55

**Apology**

Lottie never anticipated herself doing this, especially as she walked up to the ramshackle cabin. It had seen much better days. Her heart pounded like a kettle drum. Before she even had time to knock, the door was nearly ripped off its hinges. "Whaddaya want, frail?"

Lottie froze, looking at Victor. He looked her over and repeated, "What?"

"I want an apology" she said simply, confidently.

He glared at her, "You came all the way out here to ask _me_ for an apology?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, "I won't be bullied. Apologize."

He chuckled, "I'm sorry I didn't ask before I fucked ya."

The way he said it, she stepped back, "Why do you act like I wanted it?"

"Cause ya did" he said, "Ya can't lie to me. Listen to your heart...beating like that." He stepped onto the porch, making her step back. She pressed her back to the railing and he moved closer to her. He watched as she turned her head, trying to avoid his gaze. He bowed his head and ran his tongue slowly up the column of her throat, purring, "You make me hungry. Lusty. Your scent does things to me, so does that innocent look in your eyes." He put his clawed hand on her hip, not even bothering to extend them. She watched his claws carefully. "Maybe it's cause my son was the one to take your virginity." Her eyes widened, and before she could ask, he laughed, "You were abused but never touched, I knew that the day I got you off the street. Is that why you want him so badly? Cause he takes you just the way you want?"

She pushed against his chest, "Stop. Please." Her eyes teared, "I can't take much more of this. Please."

He released her and looked into her eyes, "Stop that."

Her lips quivered as she clung to the railing, as if it were her lifeline. A single tear dripped down her face. He brushed it away on the pad of his thumb, holding her face gently, "Ya really think I'd hurt you worse than I did? You really think I don't hate myself for leaving you there to hurt? You don't know what you do to me."

"You're sick" she snarled.

"I want you" he growled, grabbing her hips and pulling her off the railing. He shoved her into the house and backed her against the worn couch, "Smelling the cub all over you when I could be all over you, it drives me insane! When I see him kiss you, that smile you give him, I want you to look at me with something other than fear!"

She looked at him, almost physically shrinking, "Victor, stop..."

He took a step back and watched her sink. Her voice was filled with terror, "Yes, I'm attracted to you. I don't know if I can't be. You haven't made this easy on yourself, you know. I'm fucking terrified of you, but still..." He scented a flush of desire and embarrassment in her as she murmured, "I love the way you take me. I love you and Vincent. You scare the life out of me, but I love you."

"Don't say that" he said, quieter, "You don't love me."

"I do."

"You don't."

"I do."

"Goddamn it frail, YOU DON'T LOVE ME!"

He watched her shrink against the worn leather as he went to her, picking her up. She fought as he grasped her, her back to his chest. He clasped his hand over her thigh, the other under her chin, "You may want me, but you don't love me."

Her body trembled, "I do."

He could've sighed. His grip on her loosened as he turned her to look at him, "I'm never going to apologize for acting on my instincts."

She looked into his eyes, boldness coming to her. She shoved him back, tripping him over the couch. She leapt onto him. She perched on his chest and leaned in to kiss him. Her soft lips brushed his, gently. He purred into her mouth, splitting her lips with his tongue. He nipped her lip softly as she pulled away. Her eyes were half-lidded, a purr spilling from her lips in a sweetly seductive way. He kissed her again, letting her lead. Her claws extended and embedded in his shoulders, making him groan. He pressed his hand to her back, drawing her closer. Their lips connected again, softer. She retracted her claws from his skin, letting a little blood trickle free of the rapidly healing wounds.

"Apology accepted" she said, "Come home."

"That ain't my home" he said quietly.

"Well it's all you've got. When you love me back, you know where I'll be." She stood and went out to the car she borrowed. He watched her from the window as she pulled away.

It took him all of ten minutes to pack back up.

**X**

**Belated Author's note-Cew, you'll find out tomorrow.**


	56. Issue 56

**This Time**

"It's his, isn't it?"

Logan's voice pierced her confidence as she sunk down on the bed, "Yeah."

He went to her, holding her face, his touch gentle, "It's...alright. Yeah, I'm pissed as hell, but not at you. At myself. I didn't take good enough care of you."

She shook her head, almost fervently, "That's not true. I love you."

He wrapped an arm around her, comfortingly, "Shh. Baby...don't apologize. I don't want a reason, I don't want a lie, I just want to know the truth. Do you have feelings for him?"

The words put her on the spot more than anything ever had before. He looked away as she hesitated, until she finally said, "Yeah. I always have."

"You hated him once" he said. She visibly winced, "I know."

Though their conversation was short lived, more was said than they'd anticipated. Nikki got up and walked downstairs, guilt gnawing at her as she curled up on the couch.

She listened to the beginnings of rain as Tayla climbed up on the couch with her, "Why are you sad, mommy?"

She wrapped her arms around her daughter's tiny body, pulling her closer, "Mommy's fine. How would you like to be a big sister?"

She grinned, "A lot. Can we see Mr. Popper's Penguins too?"

Nikki sighed, resting her head on Tayla's, "Sure baby. When's it come out?"

A sudden, rather gentle, knocking at the door made Tayla sit up. She gently set her down and went to pull open the door.

Victor, his eyes warm and his hands on the door. He was dripping wet from the rain.

"Can I come in?"

Anger and sorrow filled her eyes, "You know I'll always let you in, Victor."

He looked at her and slipped inside. He ran his fingers through his hair, dampness coming off on his fingers. Tayla stood on the couch and looked at him, "Where'd you go, Uncle Vic?"

"Doesn't matter precious, I'm back now. I'm staying." He lifted Tayla, making her squeak joyfully, and wrapped her in a tight, comforting hug.

"What are you doing?" Nikki said, an edge to her tone.

He set Tayla on her feet, murmuring, "Go play sweet pea, I'll see ya later."

She giggled, "Okay Uncle Vic."

As she ran off, Victor turned to his lover, "What did ya mean?"

"Are you just showing me what I want to see, or...?"

"No. Why?" He looked at her, "Listen, I didn't...I'm sorry I stormed off like that."

She remained silent.

"Lottie came an' saw me. She told me she wanted an apology. The girl's gonna give ya hell Nikki. She's...well, she's perfect for 'im." When she didn't respond, he continued, "I don't wanna miss this kid's life too darlin, I feel like I did enough'a that with Vince."

"Vincent" she said, and her tone was biting, "To you, his name is _Vincent_. What the hell kind of privledge do you think you get, showing up here and wooing me, and knocking me up again, and trying to steal my son's girlfriend? Who the hell do you think you are?"

He grasped her wrists in one hand, gripping her chin as he forced her to meet his gaze, "Don't act like an uppity frail on me. I go where I go."

"Well, feel free to go away."

He wanted to break that fire in her eyes; maybe make love to her and make it all better between them. He knew how it was. She was a woman, and to top it off, pregnant. She was angry with him and he was used to it. He knew caressing her and telling her how beautiful she was would take the edge off.

That didn't mean she wouldn't cut his throat halfway into his plan.

He sighed, giving in, "You really want me to do that?"

"Yes."

He went back over and picked up his bag, "Alright. Between you and Lot, who the hell knows how the kid's going to end up a man."

She scoffed, "He's already a man Victor. He doesn't lie to the woman he loves, or cheat on her."

"I didn't cheat on you" he said, "I made it pretty clear I wanted her."

"I made it pretty clear I didn't care."

"Then what're you talkin' about?"

"Thirteen years ago you son of a bitch. You cheated on your wife. And then you did it again. And again, and again. That's why if you asked me to marry you, I'd say no."

"I'm not looking to end up in a ditch, I'm tellin' you I'm staying here and watching my kid grow up. I'm staying."

"Fucking great for you."

She turned off up the stairs, passing Lottie on the way. Lottie looked down at Victor, her eyes warm, comforting, "I'm sorry. She'll forgive you...eventually."

Victor grunted and took his bag back to his room.

Rain poured down, and Vincent couldn't entirely say he hated it. He loved the rain, just like his mother. He loved to run in it, smell the world during it. Rain seemed to clean the world.

His hair was plastered to his face and the roof under him, his clothes soaked entirely through. He breathed in the misty air, tasting water droplets on his tongue every so often. A crack of lightning hit nearby, and the following thunder shook the roof under him. He let out an audible moan, the scent of ozone reaching his lungs...then blood. He sat upright and looked down. There was a big, rather pale figure near the pond. The giant took two shaky steps and collapsed facedown in the grass. At first, Vincent thought it was his father, with the blond hair, but his eyes saw that it was much lighter when they focused, and his skin was much paler...

He jumped down and went to the giant's aid. Everything deep inside him was telling him that this man was like them. He didn't even pause to see the extent of the damage when he lifted him and partially army carried him toward the house. He busted in the front door, shouting in, "I need a little help down here!"

Lottie's face was aghast with horror as soon as she saw. Her hands covered her mouth, and tears sprung to her eyes. Vincent laid the giant man on the floor...

and stared at Omega Red's blood streaked, mud streaked, sodden-clad figure, with a gaping wound in the center of his chest.

**X**


	57. Issue 57

**Your Eyes**

_Your Eyes  
As We Said Our Goodbyes  
Can't Get Them Out Of My Mind  
And I Find I Can't Hide (From)  
Your Eyes  
The Ones That Took Me By Surprise  
The Night You Came Into My Life  
Where There's Moonlight  
I See Your Eyes  
How'd I Let You Slip Away  
When I'm Longing So To Hold You  
Now I'd Die For One More Day  
'Cause There's Something I Should  
Have Told You  
Yes There's Something I Should Have  
Told You  
When I Looked Into Your Eyes  
Why Does Distance Make Us Wise?  
You Were The Song All Along  
And Before The Song Dies  
I Should Tell You I Should Tell You  
I Have Always Loved You  
You Can See It In My Eyes_

_-(Your Eyes, RENT_)

The damage hadn't been too severe. It had been extensive, but not as severe as they'd thought. My hands were small enough to fix his bandages without waking him, so I assigned myself the task to keep out of everyone's way.

That seemed to be something I was doing a lot lately.

I snapped out of my thoughts when his hand grasped my wrist and his eyes cracked open. I should've been startled, but I wasn't. His eyes were red, a color I'd come to be quite welcome with and happy to see. There were a lot of rich reds in this place and the surrounding gardens. Red felt like home. He probably didn't even realize it, but gazing at him relaxed me. He took a moment to focus and cursed in Russian.

I smiled, "How do you feel?"

His eyes finally fell on me. They widened a moment and he murmured, "Violet?"

At first, I thought he'd mistaken me for someone with the name Violet, until he grasped my face in his palm and ran his thumb gently under my eyes. From what I heard, the man I was caring for was a brutal killer. Then again, it seemed to me like all killers had hearts somewhere, and the surprise in his eyes, the life behind it. I sat down near him and let him hold my face. His other hand slipped to cradle my face.

"Am I in heaven?" he asked after a long moment, his gaze moving from me around the room.

"No. Canada" I said. My hand closed over his, "I'm Lottie Buckley."

He hesitated a moment and said, "Arkady Rossovich."

My hand closed over his; his skin was soft. He brushed his thumb over my lips, very sweetly, and a purr burst from the very center of my being. I turned bright red as he laughed, rather weakly, "You are feral."

"Apparently one of many."

After a moment, he breathed, "Canada."

"The Howlett Estate. You were at the bottom of the hill when Vincent found you."

He looked confused.

"Sabretooth? Wolverine? Remember them?"

He scowled, "Why?"

"This is their home. Sort of. It's Logan's...Wolverine's. Victor...Sabretooth, he just lives here."

He actually looked shocked for a moment, "I am in their home. Alive."

It was my turn to touch his face, calming him, "Logan's done a lot of forgiving lately. He's changed."

He nodded, seemingly contemplative. His hands moved to hold mine. He examined my claws, my hands, up my arm back to my face. He murmured, "You look like snow leopard."

I blushed again, "Thank you."

He looked down at the fresh bandages wrapped around his chest. His eyes widened. I smiled comfortingly, "Logan used the synthesizer. He saved your life, even though no one has any idea how you're alive anyway. We almost performed heart surgery on you, but...you pulled through when you started getting healed."

His hand closed over mine as he murmured, "Thank you."

I rested his hand over his heart, letting him see that he was in fact still alive. He gave me a wry smile, "Why beautiful girl like you around men like them?"

I felt my face grow hot, "Victor saved me and brought me here...can I confide in you?"

He nodded.

"I'm in love with his son." I bit my lip, "I love Vincent so much. I never thought I'd meet a man like him...I never dreamed one like him existed. But Victor's...what I know. and I feel indebted to him for my safety. I know that kind of pain...that kind of basic, animalistic need. Victor's attractive, and I love him in a certain way...but I can't make myself choose between them, even if the choice is so easy."

He smiled a little, a rather warm smile, "You are a beautiful, kind woman. Victor is an animal, and Vincent I do not know. But either would be very lucky to have you."

"Thank you."

He brought my hand to his lips, "There is no thanking for truth. You _are_ beautiful."

I felt like my face was burning with fire. I noticed in the mirror above the dresser my face really had turned red, not just pink. Apparently, I still didn't handle male attention well. "Thank you."

"Lottie" the way he said my name this time, very gentle, like he was talking to a child, made me blush even brighter. I looked up, "Stop saying thank you."

I nodded. He smiled with a hint of wickedness, "Go, live your life. Give your heart a reason to beat." His hand guided my face so our eyes locked. "You have passion, beautiful Violet."

I grinned, "Alright then, ever so sweet Red."

He let his hand drop and I got him a blanket. He smiled at me and whispered, "_videmsya popoge."_

Before I slipped out, I said, "You will."

I caught my breath against the wall, letting my blood travel from my face. My heart was pounding. I sighed, "Jesus Lottie, not again!" Compassion swelled my heart and filled my soul for the poor, sweet, temporarily bedridden hulk. I had suddenly developed feelings for a man I'd just met. "I am definitely not used to male attention..."

**X**

videmsya popoge- See you later (Russian)


	58. Issue 58

**The Ways Of Love**

The first day, we celebrated. Of course, it was something to celebrate. After five years, they were getting a vow renewal. Most people waited longer, but they'd waited their entire lives for each other, and he wanted to prove to her that after all they'd been through, he still loved her.

The second day, we planned. I called every florist in Honolulu, arranging things as per instructed. I was genuinely happy, setting up my best friend's wedding.

On the third day, we set dates. Took care of invites. Arranged appointments. It was a big process that she wanted accomplished quickly.

Day four, we took care of most of the work. It was divided evenly, and Lottie was helping.

Day five, Jakob got sick.

Day six, he went to the hospital.

Day nine, he was home.

We planned a wedding in five days. In three weeks, my best friend had gone from mother of two, step mother of two, to mother of three, vow-renewal-bride-to-be, and we were in Hawaii.

Jake was no better.

"I'm fine" he murmured as he tied his tie, staring in the mirror, "I feel fine."

"You don't look like you feel fine." I touched his face softly, stroking my fingers over his skin. He smiled, taking my hand and kissing my fingertips, "I love you Chase, but I'm fine."

I sighed, "You better be."

He smiled even wider, "I am."

"I mean it."

"I am."

"Chase, time to go" Lottie popped her head in the door. Her hair was done up on top of her head, a ruby-studded clip piling it up. She noticed Jake and I and blushed, "Oh, sorry..."

"Don't be. You two have never officially met" I said with a grin, "Jake, this is Lottie. Lottie, this is my Jakob." It was his turn to blush as I gestured to him. She slid inside the room, revealing the gorgeous red bridesmaid's dress Nikki picked for her. Every couple had corresponding colors-half a product of Nikki being Nikki, and Nikki being indecisive. Jake and I were royal blue. Kurt had royal purple with his date, Nikki's friend Chelsea. Lottie awkwardly wrapped her arms around herself and I sighed and shook my head, pushing her off, "Go on. Have fun. Don't keep Vincent waiting."

She blushed even brighter and Jakob laughed, "She's the candidate for daughter in law? Escandalo."

I gripped his arm and lead him outside. Off the cliffs, there was the beach. People were starting to gather. I smiled at him and took off running, hearing his laughter as he followed. After we'd reached halfway, I noticed Jake falling behind. He was getting winded, something that never happened.

I slowed up and he grinned and shot ahead of me. I stared after him, muttering, "Playing my heart strings..."

I heard him laugh.

We met Vincent and Lottie under the shade of a palm tree; Lottie was fussing with Tayla's flower girl dress, showing her how to keep the sand off the lace.

"Even I have more maturity than that" he said, leaning against the tree. His jacket was thrown over his shoulder, a wicked look on his face. He glanced over at Lottie's behind as she leaned over to fix Tayla's ribbon.

All of a sudden, I became all too aware not only was Nikki's son not a little boy anymore, but he was becoming just about as fine as his biological father.

"Guard your man" Jake teased Lottie, "Chase is getting that look."

I had the grace to blush, "That's definitely not the kid I used to run into at the house."

"The _kid_ started getting laid" he said. Lottie turned bright red.

Jake looked away as Lottie lead Vincent to their starting point, murmuring to him about how she didn't want their sex life public knowledge. He laughed and told her life was life, and the American government was more prone to caring about human teenagers instead of the sex lives of mutant ones. I found myself mentally saying amen to it. It was the entire reason I moved to Canada.

"Chase...after...can we talk?"

I looked at Jake with a smile, "We can do more than talk. We can celebrate."

He blushed.

Nikki was the blushing bride of a fairy tale-or at least, she looked that way to me. Victor looked on with absolute and utter disdain as Logan kissed her. He looked like he was going to jump out of his chair when Vincent and Lottie kissed.

The sun was setting over the horizon when the party started. Jakob pulled me off to the side about the same time Lottie did with Vincent.

I couldn't help but listen as she began, "Vinny, I have something to tell you."

"Shoot."

She hesitated and said, "I love you."

"I love you too. Don't worry about it, whatever it is."

"I'm-"

"Chase" Jake cut into my listening, "I'm not okay."

"What?" I could've felt my eyes bug out of my head, "What's wrong? Do you wanna go home?"

"Not yet. I-"

Then I heard a growl that filled the whole room as Lottie said, "Back off you slut!"

Drama had clearly broken out unnoticed. I found myself drawn to helping her. She was confronting Emma, Vincent's arm wrapped around her to hold her back. Her claws were out and a look of pure murder in her eyes.

"What's going on?"

Jake looked at me desperately. I signaled to him I'd just be a minute.

Vincent looked at me as I pushed Lottie back a bit by her shoulders. She seemed to notice my presence, "That _whore_ was trying to flirt with Vincent."

"Lottie, calm down" he purred in her ear, "I'm right here. I love you baby."

Jake grabbed me and Lottie by our arms and dragged us out. He looked at her and said, "Hang on a minute."

"Jake, what-?"

"I'm dying."

His words were said at the exact same time Lottie told Vincent she was pregnant. Vincent looked at us and wrapped his arms around Lottie. He kissed her, but probably less enthusiastically than he would've if he didn't just see the worst thing that was ever going to happen to me.

"What?" I whispered.

"I'm dying, Chase. I'm sick. The girls have it too."

My head spun, "Have what? I...I don't understand."

"It's a blood disease...that's what I was told. It's only in certain genetic lines...you'll be fine."

"Daniella?" my throat tightened.

Vincent seemed to wince at the mention of his best girl friend. He looked to us. Jake nodded. My heart, simply, shattered. The joy of the moment was overshadowed by tragedy.

I sunk to the steps, and Jake beside me. He nestled into my arms. I found myself whispering, "How long?"

"Two months."

It felt like Thor hit me in the chest with his hammer. I couldn't catch my breath. Vincent moved to sit near us with Lottie. I glanced over at them, the sympathy in their eyes, the empathy in Vincent's.

And I finally understood that love, no matter how good for how long, was a bitch.

**X**


	59. Issue 59

**Heir To An Empire**

"I wanna talk to you."

I looked up from the notes spread out across my desk to see Logan standing in the door. I felt an odd sense of dread as I stood. He jerked his head and I followed wordlessly. He lead me out back and stood at the edge of the hill, looking out.

Logan stayed silent for a long moment before he said, "This is gonna be yours."

"What d'you mean?"

"You're my heir, Vince. I'm namin' you my heir."

My eyes widened and I took a step back, "What about Daken? This...he's your son, not me."

Logan looked back at me, "Daken's his own man. He didn't want it when I asked him about a year ago."

I wasn't even close to being offended at second choice. I was in shock. He began talking again.

"This is roughly four hundred acres of land we own. It's all gonna be yours, as of this morning."

"Why?"

He sat on the ground and looked at me again, so I joined him sitting in the grass on the hill. The sun beat down on my skin. This place was peaceful and perfect today, not much else.

"Daken's happy with life the way it is. Can't say I blame him. He doesn't want to take over if something goes wrong, and honestly, I trust you more than I trust him to keep this family safe."

I looked at the shimmering pond as I said, "You can't talk like that. You're over a hundred years old, nothing can go wrong."

His hand rested on my shoulder. He kept it there. "Things can always go wrong. You're Victor's son by blood and blood alone. I love you like my own. You're blood to me, that's all that matters."

I took a moment, thinking about all the Howlett Castle jokes I'd made with Lottie when she first got here.

"I feel like a king."

He rubbed my shoulder, "It's as close to an empire as a couple'a peaceful people are gonna get."

I couldn't help but nod. I was scared. I didn't want to think about it. After a while, he got up and left, leaving me to think. _An empire. I'd be a king, and Lottie'd be my queen._

"Hey tiger." Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I was caught off my guard, but smiled, placing my hand over hers.

"Hey beautiful."

She nipped my ear and drew a purr from my chest, "Come back inside?"

I jumped up suddenly and gripped her legs, piggy backing her into the house to the squeals of her laughter. I let her down inside the kitchen, her hair brushing my face as she leaned in to kiss me.

I smiled. I felt like a king already.

_Seven months later_

I was totally numb. Blood covered my hands. My eyes found the face of the child in my hands...Ronnie. Veronique Jessica Creed...my baby sister. She looked at me with catlike eyes, eyes that were my mother's color and tinted with amber. She'd been crying up a storm when she took her first breath, but now she was calm. Probably because she noticed the absolute mess that I was.

Lottie walked in and gasped, dropping her bag on the floor, "Vinny?"

I looked at her, then back at my sister. _My full blood sister._ I couldn't speak. I didn't. I was too proud of this kid taking her time breathing. Finally, I spoke. "Ronnie's here."

**X**


	60. Issue 60

**The Last**

_1_

"Come on big boy, buck up. You're single now. Completely free" Victor said, clapping Chase on the back on his way down the stairs.

He received a dirty look, "Unless you wanna join me in bed tonight Creed, shut the fuck up."

In the seven months since the wedding, Jakob and the girls had been buried, Chase had moved in, and for the most part given up on everything. He didn't pay attention to anything, he slept all day, and when he did rise, he was nearly constantly stuck with Victor. It was almost enough to drive him to murder.

"Cute, but I haven't touched a squaw since Silver Fox."

Chase was about to jump on his back when Lottie exited the kitchen, giving Victor the same dirty look as Chase had a few moments ago. Chase noticed for the first time just how big her stomach had gotten. He vaguely remembered her saying something about triplets-and from what she'd found out since, two boys and a girl.

But for the life of him, he couldn't remember any reason she'd give Victor such a look.

"I need to talk to you" she growled.

"After breakfast" Victor said.

She grabbed his arm with her claws out, "Now. Outside. Go."

He growled at her, "Don't get uppity on me."

"Don't start acting like a dick with me, Victor Creed. I'll end you." Her claws dug in deeper. He looked like he would've backhanded her, except something was holding him back. Chase sighed, fooling himself that it was either the fact she was a woman, or that she was pregnant. He went with her wordlessly.

As Chase walked into the kitchen and sat down, Lottie looked at Victor, "You are such a horrible bastard. I hate you with every part of my being."

His eyes widened in surprise, "What's that about?"

There were tears in her eyes as she pressed her hand to her stomach, "My kids are yours. They're yours, Victor. Not Vincent's, yours."

He stared at her and didn't speak. She began to cry. When her tears turned into nearly hysterical sobs, he said, "You sure?"

"Yes I'm damn sure!" she shouted, "We tested twice..."

"We?" Victor shouted at her, "So he knows the difference then? Poor Lottie, taken advantage of like a little school girl."

Lottie looked away from, hiding her face. He gripped her arm, pulling her closer roughly, "Stop crying. Tell the cub they're as good as his. I don't want 'em."

That drew Lottie into a harder sob as he nearly pushed her away. She sunk into the chair as he walked away. Chase got up from the kitchen, going outside. He took a deep breath, trying to calm, and choked.

The air was crisp and clear, but something was in it. Something no one had seen coming.

The mutants were dying, all over again.

When Emma started telling Nikki that nearly ever inhuman in the world was dead, she went home. The moment she was out of the car, Vincent was off the Ducati in the driveway, and Valentine was with him. Valentine looked nauseous, but Nikki knew it was mostly her son's driving. The house was silent; a very bad sign.

"Lottie?" he shouted as he ran inside, "Lottie!"

She rushed into his arms, clinging to him. She had a pocket square clutched to her face, breathing through it. Vincent gently moved her hand and murmured, "It's okay. It's passed. It's okay." He clutched her tightly.

Victor descended the stairs with Tayla and Ronnie tucked in either arm, "They're alright Nikki."

She rushed forward, grabbing her girls out of his arms and sinking to the floor with them. Victor looked between them and said, "Where's the fairy?"

"Fuck you" Lottie said, rather loudly.

Victor stepped outside and called back, "Nikki, leave the kids and c'mere."

She didn't walk all the way forward-she didn't need to. She turned around and began crying. Chase and Sal were both dead, victim to this strange thing that wiped out their population.

Arkady's arm was around Lottie while Vincent and his mother got the intel from Emma Frost. Her head rested on his shoulder, her eyes closed. She trembled every so often, even with his shirt around her like a blanket.

"Calm, snow leopard, you are safe" he said softly to her, stroking her patterned hair off her face, "Stress is not ideal with child."

She nodded and buried her face into his chest, "How many people just died, Arkady? How many people just like us? This isn't depowering us, this is killing us. We _should_ be worried."

Vincent returned a moment later, solemn and silent. Lottie looked to him, "What happened?"

He took a breath and put his face in his hands, "There are two hundred other inhumans on this planet besides mutants. Vampires, werewolves, the others...all of ten mutants died. This was a Purifier attack-they attacked this morning."

"Who died?" Lottie asked quietly.

"Rogue. Hellion. Karma. Magma. Marni...or rather, Shilo. The baby Rogue took for my mother. Her blood was what did this..."

Lottie leaned over and wrapped her arm around him. He pulled her into his arms, so her legs remained curled on Arkady's lap while the rest of her body was wrapped in Vincent's embrace. The hulking Russian didn't seem to mind, he kept a hand over her ankles, his touch rather comforting.

Victor walked up and sat down, "Her family's all dead. All except her mother. It's killing her, but she's on the phone with her ma now. Looks like she's moving out here."

"What does this mean?" Lottie asked, quietly.

"It means I was a dick, Lott. I want t' be a part of your kids' lives."

Vincent glanced at him and turned back to Lottie. She nodded and whispered, "I feel so horrible..."

"It's not your fault" Victor murmured.

"Still...what do you think's killing her more? Losing her entire family, or losing the daughter she almost died for?"

"Where's Logan?" Vincent finally asked, breaking the silence after Lottie's question.

"On his way. He was out in Chicago. He's bringing Tanya back with him."

After about ten minutes, Lottie's question was answered as Nikki walked to them, completely trembling like she'd been electrocuted. Victor rose to catch her as she fell into his arms without a word-only a broken sob.


	61. Issue 61

_2_

The two hundred inhumans were moved from their various places onto Nation X. It looked like the immigrants coming to Long Island, she thought ruefully as she observed from afar.

"Hating them will not assuage your grief" Tanya told her daughter as she wrapped her arms around her, "You and I both know that."

"I don't hate them" Nikki murmured. She looked at the faces and sighed, "I just wish...I could help them. I wish they knew."

"You can help one of them" Tanya said, "Valentine Maxwell is on his own. I know he'd love to stay with you and Vincent."

Nikki glanced back, "Mom, it's not that easy..."

"Oh bullshit. You're my daughter" Tanya turned her to fully look at her. Nikki averted her gaze, but her mother made her look. Her soft brown hair was tinged with gray, a few wrinkles showed on her once flawless vampire skin. Her eyes, once the same brilliant green as her daughter's, looked infinitely more haunted than her daughter's. "You are going to help this boy because you can. Not because it's right, not because it's what no one else is going to do. Your going to do it because you can; that's the whole reason you left the Castle in the first place, that's the whole reason you are who you are. Because you listened to no one and did what you wanted to."

"Mom..." Nikki whispered. She put her closed fist in front of her mouth, as if to stop herself from speaking. She looked at her, her face filled with sorrow, "I lost my daughter, mom. I don't...I'm scared. Because everyone I get close to dies. It's inevitable, I know, but I shouldn't have to bury my friends! My children!"

Her mother gripped her face, silencing her, "Do you know that's what I think every day? After the last wave, I had Carlisle. Now I don't. Now the only reason I'm here is because I can remain where people need me, and damn it that little boy needs you."

Nikki nodded, deciding to walk away before things became too emotional.

"Stop blaming yourself" her mother said.

She didn't answer.

The clan gathered by the quinjet they'd arrived in, awaiting the news. Valentine was with them, practically glaring at the remains of families being united.

"It's time to stop this, and I mean it. I'm done giving people a reason. That's what the X-Men are for, and this time I mean it."

"You're giving up" Victor said, realizing before the others.

She nodded, "As far as it goes, killer, hunter, my life as anything other than a part of this pack is done."

"Pack?" Valentine said quietly.

"From now on, this is it. We are what we are. We stay where we are. Alright?"

Scattered nods. Even Logan agreed.

With a glance back, Nikki met eyes with her mother. She nodded, and they left.

**X**


	62. Issue 62

**Where It Went**

I watched her as she sat outside; her knees as close to being pulled to her chest as possible while so pregnant. Her hands caressed her delicate stomach, as if reassuring the children growing within. Her beautiful face was wet with tears, and for the first time, I noticed the pattern of snow leopard spots wasn't only in her hair, but very lightly-almost invisible-on her skin.  
I approached her warily, my boots sinking into the wet ground.  
"You'll catch a chill out here" I commented gently.  
She didn't look surprised as she looked at me, "Arkady...I...Oh hell, forget it."  
I sunk down beside her, taking her hands. I ran my thumbs over her claws, "Speak freely, snow leopard."  
"I'm scared" she murmured, her violet eyes speaking volumes more than her soft words, "They're...violent. What if I can't handle it?"  
"What do you mean?" I knew she had violent pains that had grown more frequent the farther along she became. I knew she'd wake in the middle of the night, screaming in agony. I aided Vincent on many of those nights, while Victor slept soundly in his bed.  
She lifted her shirt to reveal horrible bruises that extended across the surface of her stomach. I grasped her gently, suddenly filled with a kind of panic I'd never known. It shook me to the core.  
"What's happening?" I asked quietly.  
She winced, "They're clawing their way out...I feel it. It hurts. They almost clawed me to pieces this morning...that was why I came out here. They calm down when it's cold..."  
I wrapped her in my coat and sat beside her, the chill in the air signaling autumn stronger than much else. She bundled herself in it, leaning into my side. Her voice was quiet, "Why are you so nice to me?"  
"You saved my life. You're...not an ordinary woman."  
She smiled, "I'm aware of that."  
"You're spectacular. Beautiful. Generous."  
"Thank you." Her cheeks pinked.  
"I'd go as far to say as I'm in love with you."  
She turned to look at me in shock, "Arkady..."  
I held her face gently in one hand while the other stroked away her tears, "Look in the pocket of that coat."  
She reached in and grasped a small box. I hoped she would like it, even if it wasn't much. She opened it and stared blankly for a moment before I had to actively wipe away her tears.  
"This is beautiful."  
"Two boys and a girl, yes? That represents them."  
"Vicky, Conrad and Slade" she nodded, "Thank you."  
I held her closely, warming her arms as she slid the bracelet around her wrist. Two small, baby blue gems with the initials CB and SB hung on either side, while directly over her pulse, one small, pink crystal read VB.  
"Victoria Buckley is a beautiful name" I murmured to her.  
She flushed and wiped her own eyes, "I hope I live to see her."  
I brought her a bit closer, "You will. I will make sure of it."  
She nodded and leaned into my side. There was a brief moment of silence before she whispered, "Arkady?"  
"Yes?"  
She seemed to reconsider her words, "Can you help me inside?"  
I helped her stand, keeping my coat around her shoulders until she reached a chair in the kitchen. She looked at me, her violet eyes as beautiful as ever, "I feel like a fool, but I love you too."  
I swept my coat over her lap, folding it and murmured, "You are not a fool. You can love two people at the same time."  
"Three" she murmured, almost inaudibly.  
I pressed a light kiss to her forehead and allowed her to hear, "I am honored to be one of them."  
**X**


	63. Issue 63

**All The Sins We've Made  
All The Things She Didn't Say  
The Ballad Of Lottie Buckley**

When I think of the story of my life, at first, I think of the little girl I once was as a different person. That was as far from my life as possible.  
I lived in Birmingham, born on April Tenth, 1980. We were upper middle class; never had much to worry about. I caught my mother's looks of fear despite my father's love. The day he left to get cough syrup and the paper from the pharmacy it was raining, it was the day of his funeral too. He'd been hit by a car, killed on impact. We were going to go for ice cream that day.  
Shortly after the funeral, she met a lawyer named Adam Donovan. He seemed to appreciate me and my artwork all the same, until he and my mother married. Then things changed.  
One day, I came home from school to find I had nothing. At school, yes, I was bullied, but I stood up for myself. At home, I couldn't. Adam was bigger than me; stronger, and when he threw out my backpack, I couldn't protest. When he chained me to the basement wall, I had no choice but to allow it. I was nine, I was small. I didn't know my life would be made into a living hell.  
For six years he made my life torment; I was fed twice a week, Wendsdays and Saturdays, I still remember. When I was fifteen, he went off. He threw me out in the street while he was drunk, and I ran. I ran so fast and so hard I thought I would die when I made it to the forests and hid out. I stayed in that spot-naked and covered in dirt until I could find my will to move. It came with hunger and desperate thirst. I didn't get very far, only bathing in a creek. I found the remnants of food a wild dog had left behind, and I trailed it. If it wasn't for the dog, I surely wouldn't have survived.  
I remember, it was one day when I just couldn't wait to trail, when _it_ happened. There was food, an entire abandoned camp full of food. I raced to it, my stomach growling and my body aching. I chugged the water and ate so much food I thought I'd burst. I thought it was abandoned, since the scents were days old, and I hadn't slept on something warm and soft for so long...  
When I woke, I was in a cage. But I was clean, and the pillows under me were soft. Despite that, I panicked. I tried to escape, but was shocked. I was trapped in that tiny prison, where their idea of "taking care" of me was scalding baths and dehumanizing. Constant dehumanizing. I had once been an animal; strong and swift and beautiful. I thought of myself with resentment until one beautiful day in Chinatown.

I was horrified.  
"We need to settle this" Victor said, "And there's no other way. You won't choose, so we're choosin' for you."  
"No" I said, "You're not doing this."  
I glanced pleadingly toward Arkady. He was accepting the challenge. What I was most surprised by was Vincent. He didn't look like a boy anymore, he looked like a man with his longer, soft blond hair swept off his face in a loose pony tail. When Victor made the first move-it was at him. Arkady converged, and I gasped. Arkady choked Vincent with his coils while Victor ripped into him. My feet flew forward, "NO!"  
Vincent looked at me and the amber of his eyes flashed to a strong, fierce blood red. He slammed his elbow into Arkady's chest, knocking the wind out of him, while he kicked Victor in the face. As soon as he freed himself, he leapt at Victor. Arkady coughed and looked at them. They were tearing at each other, blood and bits of cloth being thrown like paint around the wrecked brick of the former house they chose to hold the fight in. I didn't know why I was there...maybe I just wanted to see who would win. Who would fight the hardest. Victor slammed Vincent into the ground with a boneshattering crunch that made me physically cry out. He didn't get up.  
My heart clenched in my chest as Arkady and Victor went at each other. I waited. Not a movement, not even a breath, but the puddle of blood around him was growing. I screamed and ran out to him, kneeling by his side.  
"Vincent? Please, please open your eyes!" I cried, clutching him.  
Arkady stopped fighting; so did Victor. I cradled his face and sobbed uncontrollably. He was completely limp, not so much as a breath passing his parted lips. I let out a whimper as my tears started to fall to his bloody face.  
His eyes snapped open. I gasped, my hands flying over my mouth, and he attacked before I knew he moved. Victor was down on the ground, his arm nearly entirely ripped off. He roared, and Vincent roared back. There was a degree of strength in him I'd never seen before-a prowess entirely unknown to me. He attacked Arkady, slamming him through the wall. Arkady gave his surrender.  
I didn't know what gripped me tighter- horror at the fact I'd just seen him almost kill his father, or relief that he was alive. He calmed, his beautiful amber returning to his eyes. He rushed to me, and all at once I felt the power in his muscles. The strength of his grip, the hardness of his body. All at once, he'd gone from a boy to a man. A man I loved, a man I wanted...  
His voice broke my concentration, "I hate to break it to both of you, but I win. Case closed."  
He tucked me under his arm and started walking me back up the hill. I was shocked as we stumbled up, but the falling October snow was tinted red where he stepped.  
"Anything for you" he whispered.  
and I clung to those words. Always.  
**X**


	64. Issue 64

**Paper Heart**

There was a giant memorial now, in Washington, DC with all the names of everyone that died in the Purifier attack. It was literally being called a global tragedy. People were donating money to Nation X, trying to fix things they couldn't fix. They just simply didn't know they couldn't put a price on heartbreak.

Logan and Victor were working now, and Mom took care of the housework. She was almost constantly on the phone with Tanya-who still convinced me she was too young to be called Grandma. Daken and Lester had left for Nation X, partly because there were so many people and too few experienced fighters, and partly because after what happened, nothing was really the same with our parents.

Logan and Victor mercifully spared mom every detail of the past. It seemed like she was losing her mind; that was how unhappy she was. I'd seen her depressed before, but it was nothing like this. She was hardly speaking to anyone. When her friends called, I had to push them off. Tayla was almost just like mom; she'd lost the carefree luster she had before. She didn't sleep in her room anymore, she slept with Logan and mom. That didn't put any strain on them, but I saw the way he looked at her. Like she just wasn't letting him help her. _That look_ said so much more than he ever let on.

If I said I wasn't worried, I was lying, and Lottie knew it. Of all people, Lottie knew it better than anyone.

I held my baby sister while Lottie warmed up her bottle, gently rocking her. Tayla burst out crying into her grilled cheese, another thing we were growing used to. I silently passed Ronnie to her (her full name was Veronique Jessica Creed-Howlett, but that was beside the point) and went to sit beside Tayla.

"Hey, Tay, talk to me, please?"

She cried and screamed for Sal. It was something I knew she'd never get over. He'd been there when she was born; she didn't know anything else. I didn't want to ruin her heart by telling her eventually she wouldn't remember. Instead, I put all the pictures out in the open for her to see to make sure she wouldn't forget. I saw it as deeply as I knew it; my baby sister was going to cling to those memories for the rest of her life. Those memories of facing werewolves and wearing princess tiaras in the arms of the guy who was destined to be her future soul mate. They acted like it, as close as a hundred year old werewolf and a three year old girl could get, anyway. He showered her with gifts and attention, and he turned into a wolf at night to keep her company on the floor, and in the winter, right next to her in her over-sized bed. She spilled her heart on these things, and sometimes, it broke my heart.

Today was one of them.

Lottie rocked Ronnie and fed her until she was sleeping and happy. Shockingly, Tayla remained awake through her bout of tears long enough to finish eating, after that I had to carry her up to her bed. It was a recipe for disaster, sure, but she needed it. Lottie put Ronnie down in her room as I watched from the door.

Her curves seemed highlighted by her loose tunic. I knew how she thought she looked, but I thought of her as the only beautiful thing there was. There was so much to love about her...

She was smiling, "What're you staring at?"

"You. You're beautiful."

She turned pink, "You're full of it, but thank you."

I went to her, slipping my arms around her and cradling her pregnant stomach. She purred as she leaned into my chest, her beautiful violet eyes gazing into mine. I murmured to her, "Don't tell me, I'm biased. The sun revolves around you. There wouldn't be gravity without you."

She turned even pinker, "I love you."

"I love you." I couldn't help but chuckle, "I might've cut Victor's head off for you."

She turned a light shade of red, "Vinny..."

I couldn't help but nuzzle her, soothing the worry I scented in her. She sighed softly, her tension relaxing as she leaned into my arms, "What're you thinking about?"

"How I can't live without you."

She nuzzled my neck, purring softly, "Thank you. I mean it. I need you too...so badly."

Her hand slipped around my neck and I slid my arms around her, cradling her in my arms. I kissed her tenderly, her soft lips molding to mine. She whimpered, a mixture of relaxation and submission. I nuzzled her softly, "Stop that."

She smiled at me, "You beat up Arkady and Victor."

"And I would never lay a hand on you. Unlike my father, I can make love to a woman without trying to kill her." My hands rested softly on her back, never straying. She leaned her head into my shoulder, allowing me, and I scooped her off her feet to rest her in our bed. I held her as she curled up to me.

"It's difficult, isn't it?" she murmured, "Loving me?"

I laughed out loud, "No. Of course you have male attention, you're the most beautiful woman in the world. You're fascinating and smart and witty and compassionate...you're everything I could possibly want in a woman, you know. And you game. You like Ozzy, and Manson. Woman, you've fulfilled a part of me I didn't know was missing."

She was falling asleep against my chest, but still murmured, "You're too good to me..."

I kissed her soft, patterned hair, "Nothing's too good for you."

Her eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing evened. She always got so stressed out by Tayla's crying, and with the babies it just wasn't healthy. Carrying the triplets was enough; they caused her so much pain as it was. She hardly slept at night, but she tried to make me. Needless to say, I wasn't getting much sleep anyway, but that didn't stop me from staying awake, turning on the TV and simply letting my mind wander as I kept my arm protectively around her.

"You alright?" Valentine asked from the doorway, "You're watching Star Trek. You never watch Star Trek."

"Huh? Sorry, I was zoning out" I said, not even bothering to prop myself up for fear I'd disturb Lottie, "What's up?"

He looked at her and smiled, "You love her. You two are perfect for each other."

I smiled a little, "Thanks. Come on, join us."

"Vincent, I love you like a brother and all, but I'm not cuddling up to you and letting you call yourself a pimp."

I cracked a wide smile, "I don't swing that way."

"Neither do I, but I'm just saying...we're probably the wimpiest guys in the house."

I laughed out loud, and for a good long time too. Still, Lottie slept through it, and I finally looked at his confused expression, "I whuped two of the best assassins in the world yesterday, and you think I'm a _wimp?"_

His eyes widened, as if they were forming their own planets, "Was it badass?"

"It was incredibly badass. I'm the king of the castle man, the ruler supreme. Fought the battle won the girl and all that jazz."

We laughed together, and for a moment, it was like nothing had changed, even if so much had. Valentine was still my best friend, and he stood by me no matter what.

"We still the sure fire winners?" he asked.

I grinned, "Save the feral, save the world."

It was like the holocaust times three; it was surprising how well life went on without us.

**X**


	65. Issue 65

**What If: Team X**

Victor was tense, and so was Logan. Christopher Nord looked at them with interest, as the rest of the team seemed...well at ease.

"Alright, I give up. What's going on we don't know about?" he asked, breaking the comfortable chatter around the meeting table. It also effectively silenced everyone.

"There are other ferals here" Logan said, "Can't place 'em."

"No shit Sherlock, there are others we haven't met y'know" Victor barked through his teeth. Something about the scents set him on edge, maybe because they were so similar.

"Boys" the general said, walking in, "and Silver Fox." The female acknowledged him, coldly. "We have a couple of new ones in our midst. I want you to welcome them to the team as warmly as possible" he glanced to Logan and Victor, "but not _too_ warmly. This is an ops squad, not a slumber party."

Logan perked up as he heard a clear female voice growl, "Get that gun any closer to me and I'll shove it up your ass."

Victor perked up too, glancing at the door behind the general.

"Everyone, welcome Agent Lottie Buckley and her sister, Nikki. They're-"

There was a scream before the first of the two stalked in. Logan found himself staring. She was dressed like a member of a rock band; black leather pants that looked painted on, thick combat boots and a corset. A red and black corset. The lace trim on the edge had been ripped off, but it looked dated. He could've guessed mid eighteen hundreds. She had a wild, wicked looking blue streak running down the front of her crimson hair. Her eyes, emerald green, were catlike. Her skin was snowy. The second female followed her, nearly clinging to her side. She had a long coat over her clothes, which looked equally like her sister's. Her skin had a soft pattern to it; barely there gray snow leopard spots. Her hair was also spotted, but those prints were more blue than gray. Her hair, unlike her sister's was stark white. They shared a snowy complexion. Aside from that, her catlike eyes were violet. She seemed a bit less at ease. The first woman spoke up, "You really should train your men, General. They can't even take a pistol up the ass." She smiled rather sweetly as she pulled out the chairs across from Logan and Victor slightly, before seating herself in the one closest to the general. The second woman sat down in the one next to her, and with a silent glance, they moved closer together and leaned against one another. As at ease as she looked, she clearly trusted no one.

"My men are very well trained, Miss Buckley. They're simply not used to such...brazen personal invasion."

She cracked a smile, "What did you expect me to do, invite him for some cherry and giggles? I gave him warning."

The hint of an accent in her voice made Logan listen more intently. Birmingham. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

She was still speaking, "-and if the bastard touched my sister, well..." She cracked her knuckles loudly, and he watched her claws extend from her fingernails. They were painted black, and rather beautiful despite their lethal point. "I'm sure you know what I'm letting on."

Silver Fox seemed alight with envy at the two, staring at them with the kind of hatred the male ferals had only seen looking at each other. The other, the more feline of the two, had remained quiet.

Victor broke the silence, "Who's who?"

The talkative redhead smiled at him, giving him the once over. He saw the tip of fang peek out from behind her cherry red lips-also opposite her sister's, which were black like an animal. He noticed she had eyeliner on, where her sister's was natural as well.

They were quite the pair.

"I'm Nikki, she's Lottie. And you are?"

Victor grinned at her, his fangs out and proud, "Victor Creed."

Her sister trembled as an eloquent smile stretched Nikki's face, "Hello, Victor Creed." She shifted in her chair, throwing her slender legs over the arm. Logan noticed the charm dangling from her boot, and said quietly, "So you're Irish?"

"On our father's side, yea. English on Mum's."

He noticed the way they shifted closer. He wanted to know more, but the general interrupted, "Ladies, if you will, join the team in the hangar for briefing. You have your first job in an hour."

Nikki's eyes shot to the general, like the flick of an arrow. The smile that made her lips look sinful seemed to strike Logan in the gut. He watched her shift and stretch, nuzzling her sister, "Too bad General, cats come when they want to, not when they're told."

Victor smirked and leaned over to him, "I like 'em."

"Cold ones, on the General!" she shouted as she strode into the bar, her beautiful hair swishing behind her. She and her sister seemed attached at the hip, and after a short while of prodding from Victor on the plane, Lottie had begun to speak to him as well. But only him and Logan, as well as her sister. Whenever someone asked her something other than them, she quieted so her sister could tell them to, very openly, mind their own business, in one of the most rude ways possible.

Logan rather liked her fighting spirit. As well as her disposition; besides being rude to everyone else, she was kind to him and Victor, and especially protective of her sister. They were closer than close, and he understood that. It also didn't hurt that she was easy on the eyes.

She and her sister were whispering and giggling over the bar when the bartender came up to them, "What'll it be ladies?"

"The Green Fairy" they said in unison, as if it had been rehearsed a hundred times. They both smiled at each other, exposing fang. Naturally, the man seemed unnerved by their open mutations, and shuffled off to fetch them their drinks. Victor strode up behind them, pulling them both against his chest, "You ladies drink Absinth?"

"It makes the heart grow fonder, tomcat" Nikki said to him, slipping out of his arms.

Lottie gave him a smile, "It's always been The Green Fairy, luv."

Logan found his eyes wandering from Victor's private moment with the younger, more sheltered Buckley sister to her redheaded sister. He approached her, slowly, letting her sense him coming. He stood beside her, "So how'd you get this way?"

"Either get recruited or die, that was our ultimatum" she said. She glanced back to her sister, who was surprisingly deep in conversation with Victor, "I love 'er. I need 'er. I couldn't let 'em touch 'er, so I let us come here."

He allowed her all the opportunity to move as he rested a hand on her lower back gently. Instead, she turned to him. Her catlike eyes were full of adoration, "She's my little sister. I gotta take care of her, y'know?"

"You're twins" he pointed out.

She smiled wryly, "I was born first. Five minute difference." She moved a bit closer and murmured to him, "You understand, don't you? What it's like...to feel like that. To have nothing but compassion for one person when the world hates you, so much."

He found himself with no words. He said the first thing that came to his mind, "I don't hate you."

"You'd be the first." Her expression was wistful.

Suddenly, a glass exploded across the bar, probably aimed for Victor and Lottie, but it went to the right about four feet, hitting the other wall, "Mutant scum!"

Lottie's eyes narrowed, "Fuck you, you piece of garbage!" Her sister's temper was turning her eyes a stormy, firey red, "That's real nice, coming from someone who reeks of mutant yourself!"

The others turned to see the man get up, "What did you say to me?"

Nikki got up on the bar, stepped behind the counter and around the glasses of other patrons. She stood on the bar in front of him, towering over him in her mighty boots, "You got something to say to my sister, you lowlife son of a _bitch_, you say it to me first." Her eyes began to change, turning the same stormy red as her sister's.

He looked at her defiantly, "Mutant. Whore."

Another set of claws extended, from the backs of her hands this time. Logan's eyes widened as she leapt on him, a growl ripping from her with the intensity of a jungle cat's.

Her sister scrambled up onto the bar and leapt onto his companion's back. Logan noticed a second after her he'd picked up a bar stool. He moved on instinct, looking at the fight unfolding. Nikki was holding her own, but the man's companion smashed Lottie into the wall. She let out a catlike yowl, falling onto the floor. He turned to hit her and Logan rushed him, extending his claws. Victor was right at his back. Surprisingly, the girls began to tag team, and shortly afterward, it was over. Logan looked around to realize they'd physically killed everyone in the bar.

"The General's gonna have our asses" Logan muttered, "We should've gone back to the base with the team."

Nikki examined her sister's head, her touches tender. She smiled and kissed her head before looking to Logan, "And miss a workout like that? Since when did you deny your instincts?"

"Since I've known him" Victor said, picking up the untouched bottle of Absinth on the counter, "Logan doesn't let go often."

Logan watched as Nikki moved from Lottie's side, sitting on top of the pool table. She bit her lip, smiling with a sweetness that was purely seductive. He moved toward her. The scent of desire reached him, from both her sister and her. Especially from her. He found himself losing the internal war with his inner animal quickly, almost as if he'd given up before he'd begun.

"Come to me, my Wolverine" she purred, her voice soft and sweet.

He kissed her wildly, pulling her against his chest. He nearly pulled her off the table, listening to her quiet purrs against his lips. Her claws pressed to his scalp, but didn't pierce skin. He bit and sucked on her lower lip until he drew blood, her tongue pressing to his. They kissed heatedly, passionately, and he heard a quiet purr behind him. The scent reached him and he turned, surprised. He watched Victor and Lottie kissing, surprisingly gentle for Victor, and Nikki laughed musically.

"They belong together."

Logan looked at her, "So you believe in destiny."

She smiled sweetly, "They're meant to be, maybe so are we. I see it."

He nodded, "Let's get outta here. We can always be deserters."

"Deserters? I never signed up for this."

"I know."

"I'm leaving."

Her sister smiled, nuzzling Victor. Their arms were around each other, as if they'd made their decision already.

Logan wrapped his arm around her, helping her down, "_We're_ leaving. All of us."

She went to her sister, taking her hand. A silent look passed between them. Their hands tightened. After a long moment, she murmured, "Let's go."

And the four headed off, and Team X never heard from them again.

**X**


	66. Issue 66

**Downward Spiral**

_1_

"Valentine, do you even know these people?" I asked quietly as my best friend looked around the room.

"Not all of 'em...I'm just looking for Jonas. Give me a break Vincent, we'll be back on the way soon."

He walked over to a guy a couple years older than us-or rather, me-and slipped him a hundred dollars in exchange for a rather large paper bag. He looked at me as he turned around and walked away, "Come on."

"What the hell is that?"

"Cake."

"Seriously."

He stopped on the corner and ducked into an alley. I followed, helpless to do much else. Valentine lifted his sleeve, taking a pre-wrapped syringe out of the paper bag and jabbing it into his vein. It looked like an epi pen, but I knew he wasn't a diabetic.

"Is this how...?"

"No" he laughed ruefully, rubbing the spot until it healed. He tasted the drops of blood that came from his vein and slid down the wall, "I just need this."

My eyes widened, "Drugs? Are you kidding me? You're not bringing that shit into my house!"

"Will you quit being such a wet blanket? Jesus, it's not all drugs!" He produced a six pack from the bag. I looked in- there was a Ziploc bag of powder and a black box. An insulin box, but I wasn't stupid. That wasn't insulin in that.

"Sugar and spice and everything nice" he said, echoing my thoughts, "Doesn't bitch at you either."

I walked away from him. I was pissed. "Calm the hell down Vince, I mean it. It's okay. I'm okay. It's just a rush...it's adrenaline, I promise. Yeah, there's crystal in here, but the pens are just adrenaline. I swear."

Something felt wrong. I turned, watching him get up. My sense of danger was strong, and I sensed people. People were coming our way, and they weren't any people.

I was off before I had much time to process that. Yes, I'd just turned my back on my best friend, but my sense of self preservation was much more overwhelming. I hit the trees and plunged in, every other sense taking over but my brain. I was terrified, and the terror made a surge of power hit me. It was odd, but I felt faster. I felt stronger, as if I wasn't myself, but my father. Years more experience, much more power.

Something hit me in the back hard enough to throw me into the trees. My head made a loud crack, that even I heard through the ringing in my ears. Pain exploded just above my eyes, a gasp falling from me. I clamped my hand over the open wound and turned to face my attacker.

Valentine's eyes were blood red, as well as his sharp fangs peeking over his pale lips. He was in hunting mode. I realized quickly, I wasn't the predator anymore.

I was prey, and I'd played right into it.

"Val, listen to me. You have no idea what you just did."

"Yeah, I do" he had me against the tree, his grip crushing. He moved my hand and closed his mouth over the wound. I tried to choke him, my claws digging in, but not getting a grip. He lapped the wound until it healed. How long it took wasn't my priority, just that it did. I had no idea how he'd gotten so strong, but I was getting weaker the more air I lost.

"V-Valentine" I choked against his grip, trying to pry his hand from my throat.

"It's the best rush in the world Vince, I promise. You should try it sometime. It lets everything loose." I felt my hold on his hand weakening against my will. I looked at him, watching as he moved closer, scenting my blood in my veins.

"Fear makes it so frothy, and buddy you're terrified. No wonder they wanted you, you smell fucking _delicious_." He moved his hand, and the rush of air was almost suffocating. I felt my head roll back as he sunk his fangs into my throat and fed greedily. I felt my sleeve rip.

"No...N-no!" I put as much volume into my voice as I had.

He drew back, his pale lips stained with my blood, his teeth stained too, "Trust me Vince, this is all you'll ever want after this. Release. Relief. You'll stop being such a goody two shoes and join me."

I yanked my arm aside, and to his surprise, the needle bounced off the hardened bark and flipped the syringe completely in his hand. It jammed into his wrist, making him shriek. He let go of me, but I had no more strength to fight. My hand clamped over my neck, but the blood didn't stop flowing.

"Valentine..."

His eyes went flat black. He pounced on me, sending me to the ground on my chest. He wrenched my head aside and continued feeding from the open wound. My vision was going black, but I tried. "Valentine, stop. This isn't...y-you...Val, c'mon...stop..."

He flipped me onto my back so I saw his eyes, his bloody smile. He grinned with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, "On the contrary Vince, the fun has just begun."

I woke up in my bed, and I half expected it to be a nightmare. Lottie gently pushed me back down, stroking my face, "Vincent, please, rest." She kept her voice quiet, soft.

"Why?"

She glanced back at the door and bit her lip, "They've been going for three hours now. Logan, Victor, Kyle _and_ Arkady. The others are hauled up next door. They can't take Valentine down. Your mom just called Blade."

I reached to touch my neck, finding jagged scars of wounds that had probably meant my throat had been ripped out. I looked to the bag in the corner and kissed her gently, "Wait here."

"What are you doing?" she hissed, softly.

I stood up and darted for it, flipping the lock and throwing it outside. I shouted my father's name as I threw them over the edge. Valentine roared, but once Victor's roar kicked in, twice it's usual decibel, I knew the fight was as good as over.

I just hoped-and I meant hoped-that I hadn't done something I'd regret.


	67. Issue 67

_2_

After a long time, with Lottie clinging to me like a frightened cat, there was a knock at the door. I rose, and Logan was outside.

"Thanks, for whatever it was" he said.

I nodded.

"Vic's fine, he's sleeping it off. Valentine...not so much."

I was shocked, "Is he...?"

He looked like he expected me to react violently, but he kept his voice calm, "He's dead."

My world spun, and for a moment, I was shocked. Then, I collapsed against the wall, slinking down. I let out a quiet sigh, like the weight of the world had been lifted off me. That was two things that had changed; my relationship with Valentine had been stressed by Lottie's arrival, but I could relax. I could finally relax.

"Vincent, it's okay" Lottie's voice was soft, gentle. She wrapped herself into my side, and I smiled, shocked by the relaxation of the moment.

Logan sat down, near us, his hand resting on my shoulder, "You're gonna turn out a good man."

I looked at him, his words surprising, "What? Why say it like that?"

"Cause it's true. I'm proud'a you Vincent. You let us help, that's something not even your mom's too keen on."

I nodded and he sighed, "It'll be alright, y'know. We're still here."

They weren't lying; they were. The day of Valentine's funeral, Logan went with me. My mom opted to stay behind with Lottie, and I knew why. She'd buried too many children in her life and she didn't want to see another, but by the time we returned home, mom had bought Tayla three horses. And the rest of the barn-turned-garage-now-partially-a-barn-again was full. There was a brown mare called Chestnut, an Appaloosa foal called Spirit-who had incredibly odd coloring, bright yellow fur with a black mane-and another horse, a huge, white stallion. It was clear he was mom's. He was Dream Catcher, and the first thing she did when we arrived home was she took me around the grounds; she on Dream Catcher, me on Chestnut.

She named a deer trail through the forest Lonesome Bend, after one of her favorite novels, and the river it lead to Stone Creek. It was there, in the tiny Stone Creek meadow, our conversation got serious.

"You really love Lottie, don't you?"

I nodded at her words, perched on one of the rocks. My mother dipped her feet in the water and looked at me, studying my face. I studied hers too. There was much more relaxation in her eyes.

"You've relaxed, haven't you? Stopped blaming yourself for things out of your control?"

It was her turn to smile, "Yeah. It's eased up. I still grieve...but it's gotten easier, over the years, you know?"

I laughed, "Yeah, I do know." I leaned into her side, feeling her arm wrap around my back. I closed my eyes and let the sun kiss my face for a while before I looked at her again, "Don't doubt yourself, please. You're a great mother. The best."

She smiled, her fingers stroking through my hair, "And you're the best son I could've asked for...though I did have an ulterior motive for bringing you out here. You're young, sweetheart, and chances are...the love you're feeling right now is going to last you forever. She's like you. I think, it's safe to say, she's your mate."

Her smile became rather sad as she stood, took a navy blue velvet box from her saddle bag, and put it in my hand. I opened it...and stared.

They were custom made, and clearly not brand new, but they were still perfect. Both of the wedding bands had _AMO_ written in all capital letters, as if to put emphasis on the strength of the word.

"Latin, for love" she said quietly as she sat beside me. She held the sapphire-surrounded diamond ring in her palm, saying, "These are about two hundred and fifty years old, you know. They're platinum, some of the first. They were my mother and father's, now I want them to be you and Lottie's." Her eyes focused on the ring for a moment longer before she placed it in its place and closed the box securely in my hand, "You ask this girl when the time is right. I see the look in your eyes, Vincent. You let her give you nicknames. You've gotten such a voice since you met her...she brings you to life, like Logan and I do with each other. You belong together."

I smiled and held them in my hands, "Thanks. I...I will. Did Tanya just give you these?"

She nodded and smiled, "It was finally time for her to let go of them, and since Logan and I have our own...she wanted you to have them."

I nodded, suddenly choked up. I held the box in my hands as if defending it from the world. She rubbed my shoulder, smiling, "I'm happy for you."

I grasped her, suddenly, clinging to her. Tears spilled over my eyes before I could stop them. For a long time, I simply held onto my mother and cried. I knew it was one of the hardest things she'd ever do-stop treating me like her little boy and treat me like a man-but she knew. I knew she knew. Yes, Lottie had changed me. Lottie had changed me from that boy, into...at least, that guy. That lovesick, romantic guy that she always called a perfect gentleman. That guy, that eased her through her pains in the middle of the night, that rubbed her sore feet and got her extra blankets when she got cold. That guy, that wrote silly love songs and sang them to her to wake her. My mom knew I'd become that guy with Lottie...and she didn't seem to mind one bit.

The next morning, I picked up my guitar and, thinking of the ring box carefully hidden in a stack of sheets on the shelf in my closet, I sang.

_"All the sins we've made_

_All the thing's she didn't say_

_The ballad of my Charlotte_

_Eyes like violets trapped in gems_

_Pale as a winter morning_

_A grace beyond the light of day_

_A kind of beauty unheard of_

_Sweeter than a summer breeze_

_All these things can't make me see_

_If I didn't know she's the one for me_

_Oh, Charlotte_

_Oh, Charlotte_

_You stole me faster than the current_

_More effective than a silly love song_

_Oh, Charlotte_

_Oh, Charlotte_

_Be mine_

_Oh Charlotte, be mine_."

I felt her nuzzle against the back of my shoulder, her sleep-ruffled hair brushing my cheek as she kissed it tenderly, "Nice wake-up call. Please don't let anyone know my real name?"

I chuckled, nuzzling her softly, "The secret is safe with me, English Muffin."

She groaned and laughed, clinging to my shoulders as I placed down my guitar and eased her back into bed, for an early morning of soft kisses and cat-nap inducing cuddling...just the way she liked it.

**X**


	68. Issue 68

**Baby**

He loved it when she said that word. Most of the time, she said it to him, but there was just something that came over her tone when she did. The love in her voice. _Baby._ He loved it.

His lips sought hers under the cover of the stars. They were hidden in the meadow near Stone Creek, her soft cotton dress fanning around her knees in the breeze.

Her soft lips were almost crimson from his harsh kisses and more tender love bites. She looked at him with pure desire in her emerald eyes. Emerald eyes that reflected the stars. He wasn't so afraid of hurting her anymore, not since they'd had a nice long talk about what happened with Victor. Sometimes, she liked it rough. He couldn't help but smirk as he kissed her harshly, her lips parting submissively to allow his tongue into her mouth. She moaned against his lips, her nails digging into his shoulders.

He drew back, hearing a whine of protest from her. She gazed at him with pure longing, his hands holding her hips down, "No. Not yet."

"Please" she murmured, tossing her hair. She leaned up, gripping his shirt. He planted his hand on the center of her chest and pushed her to lay back, "Patience."

"I have patience with the rest of my life, but James Howlett you are a goddamn _tease_" she keened, trying to rise against his hand.

He kept her firmly planted against the ground and lowered himself back onto her, gripping one of her legs and hitching it around his waist, then the other. He allowed her to dig her claws into his back and drag upward. He bit into her tender throat, hearing her cry out in a mix of ecstacy and pain. Her hips bucked against his, her moans soft and desperate, "Please...baby please..."

"Beg" he growled as he drew the bite he gave her to bleed. He lapped up her soft, sweet taste as she weakly protested, "Baby, please. I need you. I want you. Logan, please."

He drew back, admiring the hickey on her neck and smiled down at her. She smirked right back up at him, and he gently lowered his lips back to hers, "One more time?"

She sighed in exasperation, "If you don't make love to me _right fucking now_, I'm going to make sure you never do again."

He chuckled and softly brushed his lips over the bite wound. She gasped; clearly it was still tender. He nuzzled her softly, seeming to contemplate, "And if I just want to tease you?"

"I'll cry" she said, with every ounce of seriousness in her tone, "I'll cry until you do."

He gently moved to kiss her collarbone when he smelled it; soft, salty tears. He sat upright and looked at her. She was crying, but with a smile on her face.

"Please stop...I'm going to, I promise."

Her smile widened as she took one of his hands and rested it over her chest, feeling her heart beat. He watched her close her eyes. He remained like that for a long moment, not even recognizing the difference between his heart beating and hers. He blinked, watching her tears run down her face. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly, "Why are you crying?"

"Because I love you. I love you." Her eyes opened, her hands resting on either side of his face, stroking his jaw lightly, earning a quiet sigh. "Logan, I love you. I want to enjoy this. I've been so scared, and now I just know...there's a reason we're alive. We're meant to be together, here, on this earth right here and right now. God's keeping us here for a reason."

He kissed her softly, resting his hands over hers, whispering, "I finally believe because of you. The Man's given me plenty of reasons to be with you. Twice as many to stay. Three times as many to understand anything you do."

She laughed softly, "I hate that I've ever hurt you."

He shook his head and took her hand to rest to his heart, "You haven't. You've made me better. I love you, darlin, I always have and always will."

She smiled and pulled him back to her level, "If I make you better, why can't you keep your promises?"

Needless to say, he did just that.

**X**


	69. Issue 69

**It Might As Well Have Been 2012**

I glanced to Nikki as she leaned over the back of the couch, hugging onto Logan tightly, "I think I wanna go see a movie tonight."

He looked at her and settled back against her, "Which one?"

"Any one" she murmured, "We could just get out...have a date night. Something nice like that."

"Alright." One of his hands rested over hers, wrapped delicately around his shoulders as she leaned over him. Her arms fit around him as near-to-perfect as it got. It was surprising; how they just seemed to be made for each other. How she didn't need to tell him things for him to know, and they practically finished each other's sentences.

Kind of like me and Vincent, when I thought about it for a while.

Frankly, I was pretty exhausted. I wanted to curl up in the chair and take a nap. I suppose I did, because when I woke up, I heard Tayla shouting.

"No! You're not leaving tonight, you're not you're not! Mama please, don't go!" she wasn't just yelling, she was screaming, hysterically. I got up, groggily, and found Nikki in the kitchen, bouncing her sobbing three-year-old-to-be on her hip. She was trying to comfort her, making her cry harder.

"What happened?"

Her eyes were sympathetic, "I'm sorry Lottie, Tayla's having a bit of a fit. She's never done this before."

"She's never lost her whole family before" I said, looking at the sadly crying girl, clinging to her mother with such sorrow. I rested my hand on her back and she calmed, looking at me.

"Tayla, talk to us sweetheart" Nikki cooed, rubbing her back.

"Don't go..." her voice was soft, pleading, desperate, "Momma please don't go..."

"I'll come home" she whispered, softly, "I'll be gone for a movie. I'll come straight home, okay?"

She looked right at her mother, right in the eyes, "Please stay with me. Please. Alex tells me they're out there, and you're not gonna come home if you leave."

"Alex?" I asked before Nikki could.

"My baby brother. Or at least, he says he'll be. Alexander Theodore Howlett. He has black hair and green eyes like Momma's and he says he's strong, even though he's not born yet. He said he's about to be conceived. He can project his spirit, and he says he's got all Momma's other powers. He says once he's born, she's gonna lose them, and he's gonna be the most powerful and dangerous person in the family, but he's good, I promise. I talk to him a lot."

Nikki's eyes were wide. She put her daughter down and turned away. Tears were brimming on her eyes as she walked toward the back of the kitchen, leaning against the window. Tayla began a beaming grin, "He's conceived Momma! He said he's officially conceived! You're pregnant!"

"Tayla, stop" Nikki whispered, her voice cracked with tears.

"You're pregnant! I have a brother!" she shouted, "I see you Theo! You look a lot better!"

"Please" Nikki said, her tone pleading.

"Oh, he wants to be called Theo when he's not called Alex. He likes them both, and he says you can pick-"

"_Tayla stop it!"_ Nikki shouted, three times her daughter's decibel. She turned around, tears streaming down her face, "I am not pregnant, and there is no Alex! Please, just stop it!"

Tayla's face fell, but then she reassured herself, "I'll stop it if you stay home tonight."

Nikki rushed out, past me. I'd never seen her lose control on her emotions so quickly, especially not in her daughter's presence.

"Alex says I can see him because I'm young and pure and I have some Momma's abilities. He can't take mine though 'cause I'm not giving him blood." Tayla's words were rather surprising, and I looked at her. I pulled out a chair so I could reach her level, "Okay Tayla, level with me. What abilities will this Alex kid take from your mother?"

"He's taking all of her powers that aren't mutant. He's gonna have her vampire and her werewolf and her magic. He said she won't be able to protect herself as well, but she'll do just fine. He can only use the magic though, and he'll pass on the genes and he'll create the first new werewolves and vampires, he said God told him so. God wants to help, that's why he told Alex everything he's going to do. and you've got three more babies you need to have, their names are Arkadi and Tristan and Emily. Arkadi Luka Rossovich...so I guess he's Mister Red's, and Tristan and Emily are gonna be Vincent's. He says God wants you to have them all so they live, 'cause they wouldn't if they had a human mother."

"Stop" I whispered. My head was spinning from the sheer force of her words. I stood just as Vincent entered. He was looking at his sister seriously, "Tayla, go play."

"I'm not gonna until Momma stays home" she said, "She's gonna die, Vincent. She and Alex are gonna die if she leaves tonight."

"Shut up" Vincent said, his fists balling. I'd never seen him more angry than he looked in that moment, not even when Victor upset him.

"Help me stop her Vincent, please!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" he roared at her, stepping forward, "Our mother is _not_ going to die if she goes out for a movie! You have no idea what you're talking about, you _stupid little girl!_ Dad takes care of Mom, he won't let anything happen to her, and you know what? That Alex kid hasn't happened, so just _shut up!_"

Tayla's eyes misted and she began to cry again. She got up and clung to my legs, "Why doesn't anybody believe me? It's true!"

I gently ushered her out of the room and looked into her eyes, "Tayla, I need you to tell me the truth, right now." I got to my knees-an unbelievable feat with my stomach so far away from my body-and leveled with her, "Are you telling the complete truth?"

"You'd know if I was lying" she said.

I nodded and with her help, stood, "Then baby, I believe you."

She held onto my leg, and I gently lead her to her room before doubling back and finding Nikki in the nursery with Ronnie. I felt a light blush cover my cheeks as I slipped inside to find her feeding the sweet little girl, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't" she said. Her voice was quiet, but so full of emotion, "Lottie, I want you to promise me something."

I looked at her, my eyes meeting hers. "If anything does happen to me tonight, you and Vincent are the ones we named to lead this family. I want you to."

"Nothing's going to happen. You're not leaving" I said, a note of desperation in my tone.

Nikki chuckled and fixed her top as her daughter coughed softly, prompting a worried look. Ronnie was born early, with underdeveloped lungs, and for a long time, she'd been using a humidifier and coughing her way through coos and breaths. Just recently had she improved, and she'd made a giant stride in improvement, mostly after a visit to the mansion and a dose of some heavy-duty asthma medication from Doctor McCoy.

"I'll be gone two hours, and I promise I won't die" she had a smile on her face as she cradled her baby girl against her chest until Ronnie belched-a sound that mimicked Victor more than Nikki.

I moved closer as she placed her daughter down. I wrapped my arms around her, and she hugged me tightly. Less motherly, more sisterly, like she considered me an equal rather than a child.

"I'll be back, Lottie. I promise."

I nodded and when she went to change, I went to sit back downstairs. Arkady was holding Tayla in his lap, smiling at her while she told him in detail about her favorite episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. I didn't peg him to be a fatherly type, but then again, I didn't think anyone could resist Tayla when she got her metaphorical claws into them.

"and SpongeBob was walking around on the ceiling singing 'Night night night night night night night night, night night night night na-na-na-na-na-na-NIGHT!' and Squidward was getting soooo mad!"

I'd heard the story and seen the episode about a hundred times since I moved in; she loved it so much they had it on DVD. I found myself absently rubbing my belly as I half-paid attention to the classic Boris Karloff movie on TV, probably a selection Kyle had found on cable and abandoned midway through.

Nikki strode downstairs in tight jeans, riding boots and a frilly, off-the-shoulder peach top. Arkady looked at her in surprise; it didn't take a genius to realize his eyes had gone straight to her pushed-up breasts. She grabbed her keys and smiled as she walked over to us, kissing Tayla on her forehead and momentarily perching on the arm of the couch next to Arkady, "Will you please behave for me tonight? You know it's rare Daddy and I go out anymore."

Tayla nodded and said, "Will you please believe you're pregnant, at least?"

Nikki smiled and stroked her daughter's face, "Ronnie's a month old honey, I really hope I'm not pregnant again so soon."

Tayla's eyes were pleading as she almost-whispered, "Do you believe me, Mommy?"

Nikki absolutely melted as she picked up her daughter and pulled her almost crushingly close to her body, "I do, sweetheart, but I know I'm safe, okay? and if I'm pregnant, I'll follow your word, okay?"

She nodded lightly against her mother's neck and kissed her cheek, "Please come home Mommy."

"I will" Nikki whispered to her, hesitating to put her down, "It's okay baby, I will."

Logan walked downstairs, a gray t-shirt and jeans on, as well as his beat-up old riding boots, "Ready beautiful?"

She smirked at him, her glossy lips catching the light, "I've been ready for ten minutes. What were you doing, reading the whole paper?"

"There were some pretty good boat ads" he said wryly, shoving his wallet in his pocket and kissing Tayla's forehead.

"Yeah, a boat in the middle of landlocked Canada. Genius" Nikki said. Her gaze turned to us, "Have fun tonight you guys, we'll be home in three hours tops."

No sooner had they walked out the door than Tayla bolted upright and ran to the door, followed shortly by Vincent and then me. I stood behind him as he held Tayla in place. Nikki blew a kiss out of the passenger side window of the Mustang as they pulled down the driveway. We watched them go until they were out of sight, and Tayla watched just a little longer. A feeling of dread came over me, after not long.

It turned out Tayla was right. They didn't come back.

**X**


	70. Issue 70

**Author's Note: This is the last issue where you guys will hear from Nikki for a good long while, so don't fret, it's all in the cards...**

**_Blood Vs Blood_**

**_Prelude_**

I didn't know I could feel that amount of pain. It was nothing like when my adamantium had been ripped out, or when Shilo poisoned me from inside myself. No, the pain of watching them torture him was so much greater, probably because they weren't touching me at all. These men, they were different than their predecessors; they had more morale than to torture a pregnant woman, even if she was a mutant.

_Pregnant._ I found it hard to believe, but the moment Logan had said it, I knew why. He wanted me to have a chance to stay alive as their captive, me and the possible baby I was carrying. The _probable_ baby. Tayla was right-no sooner had we parked the Mustang and started down the street, we'd been attacked with power dampeners.

They were Purifiers, and they had no intention of letting us leave. For a solid moment, I contemplated Alex's life. I rested my hand on my stomach and huddled in the corner. Their attention was focused on me for so many reasons. Some of them were twisted, yes, but they had orders not to touch me. Some of them reeked of desire. It made my stomach churn as badly as watching them hit him, over and over. Tears that felt boiling hot were running down my face.

Finally, blessedly, they stopped. I darted to Logan's side. His arm wrapped tightly around me, pressing me into his side. My body trembled, his blood dripping onto my blouse. His lips softly pressed to my forehead, "Calm down."

"Wolverine. I never thought of you as a family man...or a man who'd find himself such an...exotic creature." I whipped around, staring at the source of the voice. The voice that was in X-Force archive; the voice of a dead man.

Anger, hotter than my tears, bubbled up in sorrow's place, "You dirty rat bastard! I can't wait until your father and brother get their hands on you! They'll put you back in the ground where you belong!"

Graydon Creed put his fingers under my chin and forced me to look at him. I did the one thing I'd always wanted to do; kneed him in the family jewels.

He stepped back and doubled over. Logan snorted, "Nice one baby."

I helped him stand, my hands resting on his chest and back. He looked at me, his eyes soft, like the ocean on a hot summer day. As Creed looked at us with those hateful eyes, he whispered so only I could hear, "Think beautiful thoughts. You're a dreamer baby, you can escape this better than me. I'll keep us safe, you keep Alex safe."

I nodded and pressed myself tighter into his side, "Don't you dare leave me."

"Not until my heart stops beating" he vowed, his arm completely encircling me and pressing me closely to his side.

"How beautiful" Creed said, "You live together and you die together. We won't cause your death, no, but we'll make sure you do die in our custody, just like every other mutant in the world."

I straightened up defiantly, "It takes a lot more than bad Mexican takeout to kill us, I hope you know that." After a pause, I continued. I needed to test the waters, see if he still had as short of a temper as his father, "Considering how stupid your whore of a mother was, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't. She's dead, you know." I felt a wicked smirk tug at the edges of my lips, "Her body's probably a blow up doll for the ninjas that bought her off the black market."

He hit me, hard. I fell. My neck stung from whipping so hard to the side, and my cheekbone was broken. I whimpered, feeling a bruise staining my cheek. Logan growled and knelt beside me, gently turning my face to him.

Creed's violent reaction had caused more shock than harm. So did his following words, "What of my father?"

I looked at him and waited until Logan had wrapped me securely in his arms before I said, "Taking care of my family as we speak." This shocked him, so I pushed again. Anything for freedom, I told myself, anything to escape and get back to our family. "He'll kill you when he finds out you were involved in this. My son, your half brother, he'll be right there beside Victor. They'll tear you apart when they find out you did this."

"Who will tell them? You? That _thing_ growing inside you?" When he said it like that, I knew I was as good as a Jew in Nazi Germany. My baby and I would both die here, whether I carried him to term or not. Fear gripped me. My arms wrapped around my stomach, as if my body could shield my baby from his words.

"You're not touching him" I said quietly, "You'll have to kill me first."

"That can be arranged" he said. He got that same shit-eating grin that politicians wore on his face, "How far along are you?"

"I just found out today" I whispered. The words were true, and I didn't know, but they were saving my life.

That smile grew as he approached, that smile that I was sure I'd see when I took my final breaths. I didn't know why, but pure, absolute terror was striking into the very center of my soul. "Six months from now, the good Reverend and I will tie you to a table and rip your child from your womb. His life will be the end of yours, and my life will be the end of his, do you understand?"

Tears slipped down my face, "You will not kill my son."

"Your tenacity is quite beautiful...wasn't it Miss King, the last time I saw you?" My eyes darted to the new speaker, and instantly tears poured down my face. This was William Stryker's son, only a few years older than Vincent. He was maybe fourteen or fifteen, his face still had the chubbiness of youth; the exact opposite of Vincent. My heart hurt. My baby boy, growing like a weed, and I'd never see him again.

"Ronny Stryker" I murmured, "How are you honey?"

He made a disgusted face, "No better than before, no thanks to you."

My maternal instinct told me to shield this boy from the horrors they were committing. I looked at him, "You don't have to do this. You stopped once, you can again. Predjudice can change."

He looked at me with pure hatred, "I stopped because your son beat fear into me! Where is he now, when you need him?"

My eyes narrowed, "Probably with his father, hunting us down. It's been more than three hours."

His eyes filled with sudden fear and internally, I knew I'd won one battle. The Creed child would be a harder feat. He stood behind the terror stricken boy, his hands on his shoulders. He motioned men out of the room, and finally, left with him. No other words were said.

My hand pressed to my stomach, tears resuming their course down my face. Logan's hand pressed over mine, tenderly cradling me in his arms, "We'll get out of here, I swear."

I nodded. Hours had given way, and soon, he was asleep with his back to the corner. I lay awake in his arms, fearing for our lives.

With all the terror in my heart in my passion, I began to pray, just like Kurt had, several times.

"Hail Mary, Mother of God...please, if you can hear me, I don't care about my life. I've lived more than one lifetime; if I die at the hands of these men, I'll be avenged, and that's enough for me. Please, God, protect my baby. Protect Alex, and Veronique, and Tayla and Vincent, and Lottie...give my baby boy the strength to lead our family and keep them safe, even if it comes with Creed stubbornness. Help Lottie along with her kids, and let them live a long and happy and _peaceful_ life together...in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

**X**


	71. Issue 71

**Tiger's Eyes**

_1_

Perched up on Dream Catcher's back, I surveyed the land. My heart was heavy, as it had been. I could only assume what Tayla said was true, and my mother was dead. Tayla slept in her bed, and nobody had the heart to take her out of it. I'd cried; who hadn't? Lottie'd wept for a full three hours before falling asleep on my chest.

That was after Dad went into town and found the Mustang, and no mom and Logan. I started to cry, perched on Dream Catcher's back, but that was why I was out here. Dad was beside himself, he simply couldn't leave Ronnie alone, he couldn't help but worry constantly. Arkady was there for us though.

Dream Catcher took off in a full gallop around Lonesome Bend. My body moved with the horse, my tears dripping down my face. I came to the meadow near Stone Creek and climbed off her back. Even though my mother's scent was long washed away, I felt her presence in this place.

"Mom?" my voice was soft, as if she were just across the meadow. I sat down near the stream and sighed, "I'm so scared. I know...that you're the one who wanted me to be the leader of the family. You wanted me to be happy, but Mom...I'm so scared. We're not a family without you. Please...please be alive..."

I didn't hear Victor approach, but he sat down beside me, surprising me. He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me under his arm, silently reassuring. I buried my face in my father's arm and began to cry again.

"It's alright cub, she'd want you t' let it out. She loved ya, you know that."

When I finally had words to speak, I choked it out, "She loved you too, you know that? That's why Ronnie's here."

He sighed, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He hugged me, crushingly tight, but I clung to him. His voice was softer as he said, "I loved her, an' you know that. I loved her with everything I had left over of myself. That woman, she was the only woman that knew. She was delicate an' beautiful an' I loved her so fucking much. I still do. I'm gonna love her til the day I die, y'know that? That woman gave me the joy in my life. She got my Chloe, she got me Kitten, she got me you an' Ronnie. That woman was my life, an' even if I never told her...I would've fought for her. I would've killed for her. D'you know what I wish I could've done before she left? I wished I'd yanked that woman into my arms and given her one last kiss, told her I loved her one last time, and _said goodbye._"

My chest was aching, hollowly. I looked up at him, seeing the pain on his face. I hugged him, tightly, "Dad...maybe we should ask Tayla, if she's talked to Alex. Maybe there's something we can do."

He looked at me and a spark lit his eyes, "You think she's alive?"

I didn't know why, but the hope in his voice sparked some in me. I nodded. He rose, "I just hope the scent hasn't faded." It was rare Victor vocalized his worries, but when he did, I smiled. I was in the exclusive circle of people Victor trusted. I climbed back up on Dream Catcher and saluted him with Logan's hat, "I'll meet you back at home then?"

He nodded, a clipped, short one, and we went in different paths.

Lottie was busy chopping vegetables when Arkady spoke, "How much longer until you are due?"

She glanced to him, a smile tugging her lips, "Five more weeks. How's the beef coming?"

"I can't cut the way you do, but it looks right."

She glanced over, surprised when he caught the knife from slicing her finger, "Careful."

She blushed, letting him take the knife from her hand. He let her check his work. She smiled, "It looks fine." He put them down and sighed, looking at her, "May I?"

She nodded and allowed him to take her hand, looking it over gently. He smiled, "You should be more careful, little snow leopard."

She blushed, for what felt like no reason at all. Arkady had a constant gentle calm about himself, something that felt tender and real, like he genuinely cared about her. She knew he was a fierce fighter, that much was common knowledge. The gentleness in him, that was something rarely seen, something she knew very well.

He released her hand and helped her prepare the food. A moment of comfortable silence passed between the two before he broke it, "Do you prefer little snow leopard or white kitten?"

She laughed, "Either. I like them both."

"In that case, sit back and rest, white kitten. I will handle food matters."

Her hands folded instinctively over her stomach as a violent internal pain struck. Arkady reached out to her, temporarily forgetting everything and easing her into a chair, "Breath, just breath."

She nodded. Another shockwave of pain struck her from deeply inside her womb. She grunted, grasping his hand.

"Speak, little snow leopard. What hurts?"

"The baby" her voice was strained, her grip crushing his hand. As quickly as it had come, it subsided, leaving her gasping for breath in her chair. His hand tenderly cupped her face, "Has it stopped?"

Her cheeks were flushed as she nodded, her eyes meeting his. He smiled, "Good."


	72. Issue 72

_2_

My mom's arms were wrapped around my dad's waist, and she was clinging to him. She looked so scared, so fragile...it was strange, I'd never seen her like that. She seemed to perk up as his hand rested on her back. I couldn't hear what he whispered to her, just the purr that he used to soothe her.

My alarm woke me from the dream before I had any time to make contact with my mother.

I felt like hell every time I woke up, like maybe this was the kid trying to contact me and let me know my mother was still alive, but always in these dreams, my dad was with her. This was the second one. The first, she'd been kneeling by a river the color of blood. She had her head back, like she was anticipating rain to fall that didn't. Her eyes were closed and she was crying. Dad slid up to her from the bloody water and kissed her, making her eyes open. She clung to him and cried as he pulled her in. The more soaked with blood she became, the happier she was, until they were both smiling and gazing into each other's eyes.

Maybe it was wishful thinking; that my mom would be alive, not that we'd ever be a family. That possibility had never been a possibility. I climbed out of bed, leaving Lottie to sleep. I glanced at her and smiled.

Even under the sheet, I could see her pregnancy-swollen belly. She was so beautiful, with her hair all ruffled and her sleep shirt gathered at her knee. She looked delicate, her soft black lips parted with gentle breaths.

I took my time in the shower, partially because I remembered being a kid in the bathtub. My mom's fingers softly brushing through my hair, putting a bubble of shampoo on my nose, laughing when I blew bubbles at her in my soapy hands...

I looked at myself in the mirror, and I saw the change. It had been a week since she was gone, and I already saw a change in myself.

My face was losing its roundness; from more physical work and less time eating. I flexed my muscles in front of the mirror, watching my abs flex. I laughed, noticing a six-pack forming. My biceps looked pretty great too, if I had to admit, but there was a lot of work to be done, especially if I wanted to get to where my father was.

I spent a lot of time idolizing him now, mostly because I had no one else to look up to anymore.

Kyle and Laura and Victor stood in a loose group at the foot of the stairs. Kyle looked at me upon my arrival, "We're going to look for them; see if we can pick up the scent. You're staying here with Arkady an' them, right?"

I nodded, "Be careful, alright? If there's something out there that can take down Mom and Logan, it's big and it's bad."

Kyle nodded. Laura had the look of evil in her eyes. I had no doubt in my mind, once she got her hand around whoever was responsible's throat, she'd make them pay. Slowly. In ways I didn't even think of yet.

They headed out, and I met Arkady in the kitchen. He was having coffee with vodka; and I instantly respected it.

"How are you, Vincent?" he asked.

I pulled out the orange juice, "Alright. You okay?"

"Fine." There was a moment of silence between us, "Do you want me to wake the little ones?"

"Ronnie was fed two hours ago, so she can sleep a while longer. Tayla needs to get up though, if you wouldn't mind." I didn't even want to think of my little sister, who after their scents were starting to fade, and my explanation, she'd kept the room locked up tight and gone back to hers...more or less in misery. She'd lost her mate and her parents in the span of a few weeks, I didn't blame her for feeling the way she did.

Arkady left me in blessed peace to make Tayla and Lottie's breakfasts. I poured myself the rest of the pot of coffee, adding a little sugar for good measure, and ready to start my caffeine-induced picking-up-where-mom-left-off. Lottie and Arkady cooked, for the most part, so I kept up cleaning and maintence around the old castle...or at least, it still felt like a castle to me. During the night, I woke up every four hours with Ronnie to feed her. She slept like she hadn't a care in the world; at least she didn't.

"Love, you're going to hurt yourself" Lottie's voice was soft as her arms wrapped around my waist, "Come back to bed?"

"I was going to make you breakfast in bed" I muttered, kissing her cheek.

She sighed, "Vinny, please. I'm not helpless, just pregnant."

I partially turned and lead her to a chair. She looked at me curiously, and turned bright pink when I got to my knees on the floor.

"Vinny, this isn't the time or the place-"

I kissed her stomach, softly, my arms wrapping around her. I nuzzled her skin and felt the three tiny hearts beating under her own, a tender nudge so often, and their scents. Their soft, barely-there scents. Our eyes locked and hers began to water.

"You're beautiful" I whispered, standing up. She smiled, her lower lip trembling. My thumb brushed her lip gently, "You're so beautiful it hurts, you know that? I'm gonna love you forever woman, mark my words."

Arkady and Tayla slid into a chair, making Lottie blush and breaking the moment. Tayla smiled for the first time in a long time, "I talked to Alex."

If my heart had a reason to leap in my chest-that wasn't Lottie-this was it. I almost ran to her. "What'd he say?"

"He's getting big and strong. Mama's scared, but she's mostly scared about him. She's scared about herself too, cause he's getting big fast, and she's afraid she won't be able to protect him."

"Did he say from what?"

She shook her head, "But Daddy is! Daddy's protecting them really good. He put his shirt over Mama so she can get as big as she has to."

"Anything else?"

"You've gotta kill him, cause Alex can't kill him himself. He can only do so much, you know."

"What are you talking about?"

Her eyes locked with mine. I was scared for a minute; her eyes looked possessed. I'd never seen that kind of fever in anyone, especially not a three year old.

"You gotta kill Graydon Creed."


	73. Issue 73

_3_

Victor growled as he caught the scent on the air, not a word spoken. He approached the building, shocked by the scent, shocked by the very idea of his life.

Had they broken free? There were bodies everywhere, as if they had. He stalked up to the door and kicked it down...he nearly cried.

Her scent washed over him in glorious waves. He darted toward a bloodstained peach fabric...lifting her shirt out of the corner. He inhaled it, a sudden burning coursing through his veins. He grasped one of the dying men by the collar in sudden desperation, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

"G-Graydon took them...in the car..."

He dropped him, darting out. Her scent, so strong, so beautiful came from the shirt. He folded it and delicately tucked it in his pocket, closing his eyes and scenting the air.

Returning be damned; he wouldn't come back until he had her with him.

I sat outside that night, after Tayla had gone to bed. I heard the peace in the house, and the soft brushing of her feet through the grass, "Come to bed lover, you need some rest."

"I can't rest like this" I said quietly, "Go to bed, I'll meet you there."

"Vinny..." Her scent, soft and beautiful, reached me. I smelled her fear. I sighed as I got up and smiled, wrapping my arm around her waist, "Alright beautiful, but, you really need more rest than me. We're in the home stretch." I rubbed her stomach, earning a contented purr.

"Feels good."

"How many more days?"

She grinned, taking the stairs one at a time, "Thirty five, according to the calendar."

The house was locked up, bunkered down, peaceful and silent. No sooner had Lottie settled into bed than my phone rang.

"What is it Kyle?"

"Victor's got a lead. Bunch'a dead guys. Your mom's scent is strong, really strong. She was here as early as this morning, and she was alive."

I relaxed, "Vic's following them?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to let you know..."

"Thanks" I said. When the line went dead, I turned back to Lottie. She'd slipped on her sleep shirt and lay down with the sheet pulled up to her waist. Her smile brought out the repressed hope in my heart.

"Everything okay?"

"They have a fresh lead. Victor's following close."

Her face lit up, "Oh honey, that's perfect!"

I climbed into bed beside her, nuzzling into her neck, kissing her soft skin, "It is. She might be home in time to meet the kids."

Her face turned a soft pink as I rubbed her stomach, feeling a soft nudge. "You treat them like they're yours."

"They might as well be. I'll love them like they're mine." Her relaxation was almost tangible. I purred until she fell asleep, watching her delicate chest rise and fall with each breath. "Lottie, I love you...and tomorrow, I'm gonna ask you to marry me."

**X**


	74. Issue 74

**Madam Red**

_1_

The recent rash of murders in Birmingham was what brought us here. Kyle and Laura had returned, leaving Victor on Graydon's trail, and sending Vincent, Arkady and I out to England. In retrospect, I probably should've stayed, but I would've felt horrible waiting. Arkady being my babysitter wasn't much better, but at least I wasn't at home.

Vincent was completely asleep across from us in the seat of the car-a vintage limo clearly Arkady had pulled some strings to get. It was nice and roomy, perfect for my current size. His hand lightly rubbed circles in my back as I leaned into his chest.

"Are you sleeping white kitten?" he murmured into my ear.

I smiled, "Not yet."

His lips very gently pressed to my forehead, "You do not rest enough."

My eyes were heavy, but somehow, I didn't sleep. I batted them shut and purred as his hand massaged the tension from my spine, "Arkady...you're gonna put me to sleep."

"That is my intention." His tender touch was lulling me into a dreamlike state when the car slowed. Vincent sat up, and so did I. He smiled sleepily at me, "Time for work."

"I will take her back to the hotel, and we will regroup there after your meeting?" Arkady said.

I grasped his arm, "Arkady, you can't just let him go alone. We should present a united front. Besides, with our luggage already at the hotel, we have no rush..."

He nodded and allowed Vincent to climb out first, getting the door. He gently took my hand and helped me out. I blushed as the hem of my dress swirled delicately around my ankles. Arkady wrapped my jacket around me, making me blush more intensely, "Thank you."

He nodded. They stood on either side of me as we entered the precinct. It seemed as if they'd been expecting us, because the moment we walked in, it all went silent. A man that was probably twice mine and Vincent's age combined stepped toward us, seeming incredulous, "_You're_ Sabretooth?"

My eyes widened. I was about to say something when Vincent laughed, uncharacteristically harshly, "You expected differently?"

"I've heard you were a terrorist."

"That was my father. I'm the good child." He jerked his head behind us, "Omega Red and Pantheria, they're here with me but won't be joining me."

He nodded. I blushed, brightly. As people dispersed around us, Vincent turned and paused, pulling me closer for a gentle kiss, "Snow Leopard just didn't sound badass enough baby."

I was red by the time he pulled away, "It's fine. I like it. It sounds very fitting with Sabretooth."

He chuckled, "Let's not bring that one up with Vic, okay?"

I nodded. We were lead into a conference room of standard size. For a moment, standing with Vincent and Arkady, I was reminded of a scene from Black Butler. _The Queen's Guard Dog..._

"There have been a rash of murdered women. When it was prostitutes, we worried, but it's escalated. Women from all walks of life are being murdered, with seemingly no pattern."

I trembled and Arkady's arm wrapped around me. Vincent started glancing over the files.

"You can take them" the older man said, "We've made copies."

I glanced to Arkady, and we seemed to have the same thought. Vincent nodded and took them, "I'll get back to you soon, alright?"

The man nodded, but caught his arm quickly. His tone was rather fearful, as if he were speaking to a superior rather than my Vincent, "Please, let us know if we can help. I don't want to see another dead girl. Some of these girls were younger than my daughter."

Vincent's hand closed over his, "We're gonna find the killer and stop them. I swear it."

He nodded and released him. I'd never seen such passion in Vincent's soul as he started walking out. There was a fire burning in his eyes, something that made a fire ignite in my heart. This man, this beautiful, _beautiful_, deadly man was out for blood.

It was, in the strangest way, the single sexiest thing I'd ever seen.

We walked to the hotel, Arkady's arm gentle around me. He voiced my thought, "You must be quite important for them to hand over their actual case material. Are they truly desperate for our help?"

"There have been an average of six to ten women a night for the past week. They have no leads. The first two nights were prostitutes; it was a strong case, but not as important. The third night there were women stolen from their beds and left slashed open in alleyways. This screams of a Jack the Ripper copycat, problem is, they have no lead whatsoever. No evidence. It could be a mutant. That's why we're here."

We shared a room, all three of us. It was nice; a penthouse suite. I made myself some tea with milk and sugar before I lay down on the big couch for a rest.

Vincent was spread out on the floor next to me, studying papers and photos and casework like a detective. I looked over his shoulder.

It clicked.

"They've had abortions."

"What?" he looked back at me.

"The women, their medical workups. They've all had abortions. Maybe the killer's pro-life; killing them because they killed their unborn children."

Tension faded from his shoulders instantly. He turned and sat up and kissed me, his lips soft and tender against my own. He kept his lips against mine as he softly rubbed my stomach, earning a whine against his lips. I gently pushed him away, "Unless you want to get me going, I'd suggest you stop now."

He grinned and buried his face into my neck, "I was worried about bringing you now that I knew case details. I'm just glad you're gonna be safe." His hand, tender on my stomach, was met with a nudge. I purred lightly in his ear, comforting him, "I love you Vinny. I'm always safe with you. I have faith in you."

He looked at me and smiled, "I'll get a list of women who've had these done recently, see if I can work up any other connections, anyone who had access, things like that, and you, my love, should get some rest. You were almost asleep in the car."

I smiled, "When you bring me the heart of the man that kills women for their free will, I will."

It was his turn to purr, though he made me giggle, "There are so many reasons why I love you woman, and that was one of them."

He kissed me lightly and got on the phone, one step closer to catching us a Ripper.


	75. Issue 75

_2_

Vincent was out getting the list when it happened.

Arkady was in the shower and I was sipping my tea, curled up with Doctor Who. I just happened to look up and see a body falling into the alley from the building beside the one we were in. A cloaked man-at least, I assumed it was a man. The figure was thick-looked in my direction. My eyes widened and I leapt up, tearing into Arkady's room. I heard glass break as I pounded on his locked bathroom door, "_ARKADY!"_

He threw it open, wearing only a towel. The would-be killer was met with Arkady's coils the moment he stepped through the door. I saw a pair of red eyes as the figure looked at me. I clung to Arkady's arm, unintentionally keeping him in place. The eyes focused on my stomach. A growl burst from the figure and it leapt out the window it had broken to get in.

Unceremoniously, I fainted.

Vincent saw the red-eyed, black cloaked figure as it disappeared around the side of the building. He took off into a bounding run, the figure seeming to know he couldn't catch up on two legs.

He shifted, his strides becoming deeply animal before he lurched forward into a catlike bound, two of which had him tackling the figure to the ground.

A knife was jammed into his stomach as he growled and ripped the hood back.

The woman below had red eyes and red hair, she was pale and thin, and as the short locks spilled out, he loosened his hold on her, "What the hell are you doing?"

Tears sprung to her red eyes, "I can't control it...you stopped it for a few minutes, but that's all. My shadow will take me over again...please."

"Shadow?"

The force of the eyes returned as she threw him into the wall of the building next to them. He hit hard enough to bounce off, a crack in the back of his head making him see stars for a moment as his cheek met the cement. He groaned, blinking. A heel was pressed into his back, impaling him on the knife further, "They call me Reaper, and so can you."

With a growl, he lunged. He ripped her cape, knocking her to the ground with a harsh slash to her side. She fell, the intensity fading until her eyes became a deep, nearly-navy blue. She looked at him, fear in her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't kill me!"

"Sorry doesn't get you anywhere" he growled, lifting her off the ground. Under the cloak, he noticed her clothes. It reminded him too much of his mother, in a black corset and leather pants, but instead of combat boots, there were heels. Her wound was bleeding badly.

"I didn't mean to kill those girls...I just couldn't sit back and watch them kill their babies, day after day!"

He noticed how heavy her body was becoming; she was going into shock and didn't even know it. She looked at him, pleadingly desperate. He pulled her knife out of him and placed it in her hands, "You're a mutant. You're pretty useful too, fighting and killing like that. I could use you." There was hope in her eyes that he quickly crushed, "But I wouldn't. I lost my sister to people that killed her, and you know what? I know exactly what you're talking about. I agree with you completely. Killing will not bring them back." He set his jaw as he hoped he wouldn't have to remind himself of that, "Killing will not bring you peace."

"It's not my fault, it's Reaper. Reaper's my shadow-" she began.

"I know. I got your profile on Cerebra a month ago. Now, I could take you to the hospital and let you wind up in SHIELD custody, where you'd remain in prison for the rest of your life, or you can do what they had the chance to do, and use your free will."

"What kind of a superhero are you? Turn myself in or kill myself? Are you insane?"

His eyes were colder than his father's as he stood over her, "What makes you think I'm a superhero?"

He turned on his heel and began to walk away. A fresh wave of blood hit his senses, and he turned.

Her head was back, her neck slashed open, her hand and knife covered in blood. The part of him he'd become so at peace with began to hunger. He rushed toward the still warm body and bent his head to taste the blood running from her open wounds.

A strangled sound came from the body under him. He looked into her eyes; knowing she was alive. The animal was thrilled. He growled as he bared his teeth and sunk his claws into her chest, "I had specific orders to bring this back."

As his hand pulled away bloody. He pulled a bloodstained kerchief from her pocket and wrapped the object in his hand. "Thanks Reaper, I like t' keep my promises."

Arkady stroked my face gently, murmuring to me, "Snow leopard, wake. Please, let me see those beautiful violet eyes."

I smiled, "You really like my eyes, huh?"

He exhaled in relief, "White kitten, you had me worried. You fainted almost an hour ago."

My hand went to hold his face without protest, "I was tired on the way here." His hand tenderly held mine to his face. The other drifted from holding my shoulder gently down my side, nearly to my hip. I felt my heart quicken as a blush and a shy smile spread across my face, "So you finally have me all alone in your bed."

His eyes looked at me with pure lust, but somehow, he controlled it, "I can't take advantage of you, white kitten. As much as it would please me...it is not what you want. And I have a very hard time doing anything you do not want." He stroked my hip, as if he wanted permission.

The door shut and I sat upright, scrambling from the room in time to see Vincent in the kitchen, "Vinny! Are you okay? Where did all that blood come from?"

He smiled and came toward me. His hand withdrew from his pocket, unwrapping the handkerchief that sat in his hand...revealing a human heart, freshly killed.

"I told you I'd bring it back for you."

Something wicked burned in his eyes, something that sent more desire through me than laying in Arkady's bed with inches between our lips. I took the bloody organ from his hand, my eyes gazing directly into his, and took a bite.

He purred loudly, bringing me closer. He closed his mouth over the back of my hand, his tongue lapping up the blood that trickled down. Chills ran through my skin as he licked my hand clean.

The entire aspect of what I'd done set in as he trailed his tongue along my claws, purrs so deep and soft I had no idea what to make of them. I'd just _eaten a human heart_. His smoldering eyes met mine and he softly held my face in his hand. I was melting under his liquid amber gaze.

"Set it free" he purred, and his mouth closed over mine.

I was unaware that Arkady hadn't even paid us mind, he hadn't looked at us once. Vincent's tongue tasted every trace of blood in my mouth, every part of myself sang to let the animal free; to make peace like he clearly had.

I melted into his arms, and I did.

**X**


	76. Issue 76

**The Cover Story**

It had been said many times, but for me it was true. I'm one helluva killer. I've beat Logan's numbers, that much is damn sure. I may not be a hero, but I do what I can.

Especially for her.

It took a little walking around to get to where I was-sitting in the back of a truck driven by a wealthy drag queen and her butler-but I had Nikki's scent. I followed the exhaust trail out to the ends of town.

That was where they came in.

I knew that thing well enough to know he'd stop off at some luxury hotel to rub it in while he kept my mate locked up like cattle. I needed a way to get to her, so that was where they were taking me. I'd had my words with the 'simply one hell of a butler' and 'a helluva lover' up there, and they knew my intentions were...noble. Even if I didn't give them a reason or a cover story. It was true, as far as I was concerned; she was my mate. That was how it was. She was my woman. I lay back and took her shirt out of my pocket, smelling her scent. Her scent mixed with mine. It brought sensory memories back; for a moment, I could feel her soft blush when I made a comment about how nice her ass looked. Smell her anger when she got pissed at me. Her smile, when I purred and nuzzled her throat...the sound of her purring as I made love to her...she was the only woman I could really say I'd made love to. Chloe and Kitten, they didn't want love making, they wanted sex. I gave 'em what they want. Somehow, Nikki wanted all of me. That was probably why I fell for her so damn hard. Gave everybody the animal, and she wanted more than that. She wanted to know what made me tick, what made me think...what made me love her.

I had too big of a list to ever tell her.

I took another deep inhale of her scent. It was better than a human with opium. She smelled right...and there was very little I wouldn't give to have her back. Back in my arms, back with her kids...our kids. I folded her shirt back up in my pocket and sighed, scenting the air. I was getting close; I could smell her.

"We're pulling up big guy, want us to leave you here?"

I climbed out of the back, looking at her. She might've been a pretty good lookin gal if my heart wasn't elsewhere, "Thanks darlin. Get home safe, alright?"

She smiled at me, knowingly, "Go get your girl, big boy."

I nodded, patting the truck and shooing her off. As soon as they were clear, I made for the hotel. It was probably the best on this stretch of road-for a motel. Her scent called to me from the inside of a military-grade Hummer. I broke for it. A bullet hit me square on.

I saw her, and that was enough to make me keep going. A whole hailstorm of 'em flew at me. She was pounding at the glass, screaming for me. My eyes were going red. I turned.

My attacker was a kid. Not just any kid, a kid that smelled like Stryker-that anti-mutant Reverend with the load of garbage he had t' say about us. I looked back at Nikki, her eyes were wide, her scent, so soft and drug-like, reached me.

Before the kid had time to shoot again, I ripped the door off and yanked her out. She was pregnant, very, very pregnant...About to pop pregnant. Gunfire halted as she sunk to the ground in my arms, clinging to me. I realized the reason she wasn't crying loudly, or even talking, or even in the building with them, was cause of the kid.

"Hello, father." That little shit eating son of a bitch. I lowered Nikki to the ground, her hands clinging to me. She drew me close, "Victor, don't. Don't."

I stood and turned toward him. Graydon stood there, every bit the little bastard I remembered.

"Ya picked the wrong woman t' cart off boy."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"No, but you are of her. The kid inside her too, I'd bet."

He didn't back off, but he didn't raise his gun. I smelled blood, freshly drawn, inside. A feral roar hit the air.

"Logan" she whimpered.

I turned back to her.

"You have a choice _Dad_, you can take her off to have her baby in peace...or you can try us to get them both back."

She was gonna hate me for this for the rest of her life. I charged toward her. They drew their guns. She was in my arms, shouting Logan's name as I carried her off before they'd even started shooting.

"Victor put me down! Put me down!" Even faced with death, she was still tenacious as ever. "Victor, I'll kill you!"

"Do it later kitten, I gotta get you home first" I growled.

Her cries died out about five minutes in, only to be rekindled as we went, this time by contractions. We'd made it back out onto the road by then, and she couldn't walk anymore. She laid down in the middle of the street, crying as contraction by contraction, she got a little closer to having another kid.

"Kitten, hey, hey look at me" I said as I held her gently, "What happened?"

"He's strong...he has all my strength, all I have to give him" she whimpered, her nails digging into my arm, "Please, help me..." Her eyes rolled back, like she was going to pass out.

I shook her, "Kitten, stop that. Please. Stay with me."

"Get him out" her voice was soft.

I picked her up and kept going. By the time we got back to the house, her water had broke and she was clinging to my chest like a scared kitten.

Softly, I brought her to her bathtub and stripped her down. She clutched my hand, crying as if she were dying...I was scared to death. Giving birth never hurt so badly, did it? Weak frails maybe, but not my kitten...

"What's wrong baby? Talk t' me."

"I don't think I can get him out" she whimpered, "He's so big...it's his power, I think." A strangled scream tore from her. I held her softly and kissed her forehead, "This is gonna hurt."

"Not as badly as this." Her claws dug into my arm as I ripped her open. She didn't scream, she sighed. She sighed as if all the pressure was taken off her. Gently, I lay her on the floor and opened her up.

The cries of her baby son filled the room at about the same time she passed out. The kid was bigger than most kids, that was for damn sure. I cleaned up the kid and lay him down in her bed, even if he was hungry, he wasn't gonna eat just yet.

Softly, as gentle as I'd ever done anything, I bathed her and dressed her wounds. They weren't healing as fast as before. I went to my room and grabbed her one of my shirts and slipped it over her. She looked deflated. She probably hadn't eaten since she'd been taken.

The kid looked at me and quieted, snuggling up to his mother. I sat there, for a long time, thinking of what I did. I knew the kids would be the only thing keeping her here...so where was everyone?

I heard the back door open, answering my question as I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, "You're home babe. An' I'll go back for him. You just sleep, we gotcha...I love you, so much Nikki."

Her lips quirked in the sleepy aprozimation of a smile, and I let her sleep, while I went to deal with the horde of kids downstairs.

**X**


	77. Issue 77

**Sets of Three**

It seemed like things came in sets of three.

Set one: the babies.

Set two: my mother coming home, and what happened after

After my mother got home, there was a huge, happy reunion. I'd never seen Laura cry for real, but she did when she flung her arms around Mom's neck and hugged her crushingly tight. Tayla cried, and one of the first things Mom did was take Ronnie off to be fed.

Then Lottie met the baby. His scent was off when I first smelled him, but she loved the way he nuzzled right into her throat, 'like a little baby kitten'. I sat by her, watching her put the baby to sleep with her softly manicured claws tracing patterns on his little back. When Mom had put Ronnie down for a nap, she returned for him, "Thank you Lottie."

"It's fine, he's so sweet...what's his name?"

She didn't miss a beat, "Alexander."

"Alex...aw, he's precious."

She took him upstairs for his nap, probably in the cradle Victor was setting up. Then, the pains hit. Lottie almost doubled over, clutching my hand, "Oh my god, Vincent..."

"I've got you" I murmured, "I got you."

She gasped and struggled to stand. I helped her, all the way up to our room. She went for an asprin and another, shocked gasp came from her, "Vinny!"

I rushed to her, catching her as she doubled over, "What? What's happening?"

"My water just broke..."

"How? You're not even eight months pregnant!"

"I know!" Her eyes were desperate as I helped her lay down, "Get your mom...please, get your mom!"

I couldn't leave her, not as another violent contraction came over her. My hands were gentle as they worked mechanically, slipping off her clothes on her lower half. She looked at me desperately, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.

My mother rushed in, "What's going on?"

"She's going into labor" I murmured, bringing her close and holding her, "Mom, I need your help..."

"Hold her hand and trust me" she said. She looked pale as she knelt by Lottie, but I nodded and complied, resting her head against my chest and holding both of her hands. She let out an agonized scream as another contraction hit, harder.

"It's okay sweetie" Mom cooed to Lottie, "Breath. Just relax. Deep, calming breaths."

Lottie looked at me, panicked. I knew what thoughts were running through her mind. Kids just didn't come almost a month early without something wrong. I smiled at her and kissed her forehead, "Breath baby." She panted and nodded, clutching my hand. Her gentle violet eyes met mine, "I'm so scared."

I kissed her forehead again, "I know, so am I." I rubbed my thumbs across the backs of her hands, "Just breath and push, and welcome our babies, okay?"

She nodded, her cheek pressing into my chest. Her eyes were desperate. I cradled her face, feeling her hard grip on one of my hands, her other clamped around my wrist. She was crying, sobbing against my chest, but I couldn't do anything. I stroked her face and soothed her worry.

"Honey, push. Don't worry, just push" Mom's voice broke our silent communication. She nodded and clutched me, her tears pouring freely. I heard a crack, and she screamed again.

"Lottie, honey, push. Hurry now."

"What's wrong?" Blood tinted the air. It was Lottie's. My mom looked at me, meeting my eyes as I clung to Lottie's fragile body, "It's okay, just push." I saw the tender way she braced Lottie's hip. She whimpered.

"What hurts?" I rubbed her hand tenderly.

"Everything..." she looked into my eyes, desperately. This was dangerous, that much I knew. "Big push honey, c'mon..."

Lottie choked back a sob as she did, and a cry pierced the air. Mom smiled in relief, "Vicky."

"Just push the twins out, okay" I whispered, rubbing her back. She slumped back against my chest, "Vinny, I can't do it. It hurts so much."

"Baby, try, please." The scent of her blood was rich on the air. Her face was pale and her eyes were fluttering. I kissed her gently, "Lottie, stay with me. Look at me."

Her eyes focused on my face as she pushed, a fire kindling in her eyes I hadn't seen. I stroked my thumb over her cheek; each push made the blood scent richer. Another baby cried, but I couldn't focus. She would know Slade or Conrad. She let loose a scream as she pushed, finally hard. Her body slumped, limply into my arms. I stroked her face gently, murmuring encouragement to her. She reached out for the babies. I hadn't even noticed Laura had appeared and had cleaned and wrapped the babies in blankets.

"Lottie, honey, just wait a moment okay?" Mom murmured, "What I'm about to do is about to hurt, but it has to be done."

Lottie nodded as Mom moved her body gently. Lottie whimpered, and a crack happened that made her scream. The three cries silenced, three pairs of eyes locked on the woman that had just birthed them. Her fresh blood stopped after a moment, and I knew she was healing.

"Slade did that one" Laura said.

Lottie's eyes focused on her with piercing hatred, "You have no idea which of my boys is Slade and which is Conrad, so give them here!"

"Lottie, chill, I-" Laura began, only to be cut off.

"Give Vincent and I our children before I get up and get them myself!" Lottie nearly screamed.

Mom passed me Vicky and the twins to Lottie. I was shocked, holding the little girl in my arms. Her tiny, wide eyes were the exact same shade of amber as mine. I sniffed her. She smelled...innocent...fresh. She smelled like new life. Her tiny hand moved and wrapped around my thumb. Something clicked inside me, a nuzzle and a purr slipping from me to her.

"Vinny? Will you try to hold the boys too for a moment?"

I nodded, gently taking them. I knew which was Slade and which was Conrad-Conrad nuzzled into the crook of my other arm while Slade almost glared daggers at me. I laughed. I put the twins in her arms. She fed them, smiling at me.

"You have this...look. I love it" she murmured, "You look like the happiest father in the world."

Her words didn't escape my mother's hearing. She smiled as she gently helped Lottie clean up. When she switched babies with me, I looked at Slade and Conrad and nodded, "Cause I am. I love them Lottie...they're perfect, just like you."

She teared up and nuzzled my side, "I love you Vinny."

I nuzzled her and Conrad at the same time. He laughed and cooed, sounds I never thought I'd hear from a baby besides my sister. The peace on her face, the peace on our babies' as they started to rest in our arms...

"Want me to get the cribs set up?" Laura asked, "Me and Kyle have free time."

I nodded, "Thanks Laura."

She ducked out and eventually, Mom followed. I looked at Lottie, my eyes tearing, "Marry me woman."

"One day love, one day" she murmured, "Can we just relax into a life with kids first?"

I nodded, kissing her softly, "I love you."

"I love you."

One day would come...that I was sure of.

**X**


	78. Issue 78

**Children of the Night**

"You know, physical contact extends your life" Victor said, being pushed away from yet another hug.

"Then you'll outlive Styrofoam" Lottie said, sighing.

Ever since the triplets had been born, the distance between them had grown, while the tiny gap that had been created because of the kids' lineage between Vincent and Lottie had closed. Victor grabbed her by her shoulder and shoved her into the counter, facing him, "He is not my kids' father, stop treating 'im like he is."

She shoved him off, her teeth bared, "And you are? Where have you been this whole time Victor? Telling me you didn't want them? You're a _great_ father Victor."

He would've hit her had Nikki not walked in, cradling Ronnie in her arms. The sight of her made him relax and go to her, only to be shrugged off.

"If you can't treat Lottie with respect Victor, you get none from me."

Lottie swelled with triumph while Victor deflated, "Well damn kitten, she's not you."

Nikki's eyes were filled with malice as they returned to him, "And you think you should treat her any differently?"

Victor looked at her, then at Lottie, and grudgingly apologized. Lottie took her tea and stormed out.

"Jesus kitten, calm down" he slid up behind her, pulling her to his chest and purring softly. Something she knew very well came to mind-it was very hard to stay mad at purring Victor. She sighed as he softly nuzzled her neck, pressing his lips to her tender skin. Much to everyone's surprise, she allowed the touches; even welcomed them. She returned the nuzzle and purr, both listening to Ronnie's soft breaths against her neck.

"Victor" Arkady called, "We have a lead!"

"Go" Nikki murmured, giving him a gentle kiss.

He left her side to head upstairs, into the study, where Vincent was up and moving, getting ready to take care of it all head on.

"He's stopped, we can guess they're taking a break. Logan's with them. Emma's been watching them all morning" his son's voice was hardly the thing he was thinking of, especially as he realized the position they were in. He was too close for comfort and clearly, his boy wanted to end this personally.

That he could live with.

"Yer gonna need t' leave the weapons. Ya don't want firepower in a fight with him, ya want skill. You got enough skill t' handle him on yer own, but I'm coming with. I'm gonna watch the little bastard die an' make sure he's dead for good this time." Victor's voice slipped into a growl that Vincent acknowledged with a wicked smile.

"If you can put him back together when I'm done with him, kudos t' you."

Victor was surprised at the ease Vincent had stalking the convoy, pressed to the ground like a hunting tiger. His eyes were trained on his prey. He watched his son with a surge of pride; a pride he'd never felt for Graydon. The boy had guts; guts to stand by his woman, to hunt like him, kill without remorse.

He saw so much of himself in the boy he was ready to follow him into war.

Vincent stalked up behind a tree as one of the few surviving guards came closer. He hestitated, calling back about bears this far out. He didn't get to finish before Vincent took him down.

Victor surged forward, tearing through brambles and low-hanging branches as he lunged at the convoy, covering his boy.

The war had begun.

"They will be home safely" Arkady murmured as he rubbed Lottie's shoulders. She was afraid; he didn't have to be a feral to know that. She was tense. After she'd put the kids down, she needed to be around someone, so she came to him.

She chewed her lip anxiously, "Arkady, I'm worried."

"I know, snow leopard" he murmured. His hands softly rubbed down her back. She blinked and began to lean back into him, her eyelashes batting and a purr coming from her, "Oh Arkady..."

He paused before moving closer, "Will you say that again?"

A blush swept over her cheeks. He gently rubbed his thumb into her neck, making her gasp, "Arkady..."

"Yes, white kitten?" he murmured. He was incredibly aware that she was a young, beautiful woman, and the warmth of the gentle heat radiating off her body was addictive...he found himself leaning in, brushing his lips against her ear, "May I take your mind off your stress, white kitten?"

"I love him" the words burst from her before they could be stopped.

Arkady was unfazed, "You love me too."

She nodded and looked at him, "If something happens to him..."

"I will fix it." His lips closed over hers, bringing her to lay on his bed.

Victor had never had problems dealing with humans before, but they were skilled, trained, probably the best combat team he'd ever met.

Vincent was facing off against his old schoolyard bully, beating the boy into the ground. A wild snarl ripped from him; a sudden pain striking him in the back of the head. He turned, his eyes blazing. He looked at Graydon, a gun pointed in his face.

"You are not my brother."

Vincent's teeth bared, his claws extending, "I know I'm not. You're a human."

Victor looked up, roaring, partly in fury, partly in a panic. Vincent's claws sliced Graydon's throat open as Graydon pulled the trigger. They both fell, and Victor tore off from the bodies toward Vincent.

He was out-the force of the bullet would've been enough to kill most men, but somehow, it hadn't even broken his skull. His head bled profusely.

"Vincent? Vincent, c'mere kid...speak t' me" he picked him up, touching his face. Blood soaked his shirt, dripping down Vincent's face.

Graydon was choking on his blood. Victor picked up his son, and with a hard kick-disconnected his head from his body, watching it roll away with a shocked expression. He unlocked the convoy, "Runt, I gotta get him home, hurry up!"

The force which Logan leapt out almost knocked Victor back. His jeans were torn, and he was covered in fresh blood. He looked at Victor, snarled, and took off.

"Well fuck!" Victor shouted. The sudden rush of heat against his chest reminded him of the state Vincent was in, and he sighed and raced back to the car.

Arkady's touch lit flames under her skin. He touched her in such a soft and romantic way, something she hadn't expected. His lips hardly ever left hers, with tender, passion-filled kisses that muffled her moans and purrs. He lavished her body with attention to the point she wanted to cry from joy; feeling as if he wanted nothing more than to please her. He let her hold his face and tug his hair as he made love to her, his lips tracing her neck softly and slowly.

"Arkady" she whimpered, arching against him.

He groaned into her skin, "Lottie."

Something inside her loved the way he said her name. She loved the way he kissed her and worshipped her. His lips closed over hers a final time, in the most passionate, loving kiss she imaged she'd ever felt. Their breath mingled together as they moved apart. He held her against his wide chest, "Rest now, my beautiful white kitten."

It was dark; the deepest part of night. Her phone was ringing on the bedside table, waking her. Arkady's arms were warm around her, and she answered it without looking, "Hello?"

"Lott, there's...been an accident" Victor said, "Vincent's asking for ya."

"Accident?" she sat up, "How bad of an accident?"

Arkady's arm stayed around her waist as she pulled the soft red silk sheet over her skin, feeling around, trying to remember where she'd left her shirt.

"Pretty bad doll. We're in San Fransisco. I wantcha t' tell his ma, alright? We'll be back in a couple'a days when he's healed up."

She grabbed Arkady's shirt and slipped out of bed, putting it on and partially buttoning it up, "What happened?"

A moment of silence passed between them, "Graydon put the gun against his forehead and pulled the trigger. He was out for a couple hours, but it didn't even break his skull...jokin' around telling us it's all the cheese he eats...more calcium than a damn cat..."

"Is he alright?"Lottie found her clothes on the floor and glanced back to her lover. He was deeply asleep, and she knew she'd be returning to his embrace, whether she felt guilty about it or not. Vincent had made it clear in the beginning, he wanted her happy, no matter what it entailed.

"He's alright...ya wanna talk t' him?"

She nodded and knew even if Victor wouldn't see it, her silence was her affirmation. She heard the phone be exchanged and a sleepy, slightly slurred voice stirred her heart, "Hank has me on so many drugs I feel so high off my ass right now..."

She chuckled, dropping her clothes into their laundry bin in their bedroom, "Honey are you okay?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic now that I hear your voice. How're you sleeping beautiful?"

"Restless, waiting for you."

He sighed and it became a partial purr, "Go sleep with Arkady. You won't be alone."

Her cheeks flamed as she said, "I have."

He laughed and she could hear the smile in his tone, "Well great minds think alike! I'll be home soon beautiful...an' I swear, I'm gonna make it up to you. Okay?"

She nodded, smiling, "Okay. I'll be there in the morning."

He sighed contently, "Bring me some food too?"

"Whatever you'd like." She hesitated in the hall, listening to his gentle breaths. He finally murmured, "I love you. Get some rest. For me."

She nodded, "I love you too."

"Goodnight Lottie" he murmured, like he was falling asleep. He waited as she murmured, "Goodnight Vinny."

With their parting words said, both hung up. She lingered for a moment before returning to Arkady's bed and slipping back into his embrace. He brought her closer, like a child with a teddy bear, and she chuckled to herself before blinking her eyes closed.

**X**


	79. Issue 79

**Lessons in Being a Man**

_1_

Vincent opted to stay home with me, Arkady and the females except Laura. After what happened against Graydon, I knew he was more wary of Victor at his back than he was before. He stayed inside while I saw them off.

"You'll be careful, right?" I asked Kyle. He and I had grown close, but in a completely unromantic way. He was so passionately in love with Laura, and he was so happy...

He hugged me, tightly, followed by Laura, "We'll be fine." Her voice was soft and reassuring, calming the panic building in me.

Victor strode outside, taking up half the Jeep with his bulk, "Tell them t' be careful, I'm sitting in the back."

"And I hope Daken cuts your balls off" Laura muttered, as if voicing my thoughts. I giggled and hugged her once more before letting her go.

I glanced over; Daken and Lester were embracing passionately against the side of the house. Daken's arms were wrapped around Lester's neck, and they were kissing each other like they'd never kiss again. They were so deeply in love, it was hard for me to imagine anyone thinking badly of their love. Clearly, they loved each other as much as anyone I'd ever seen. They split apart eventually, only to be met with a few soft kisses, their hands locked together.

"Hurry home" Lester whispered to Daken.

"I will" he whispered back, nuzzling him as they kissed again.

"Sappy as shit, isn't it?" Victor said.

I stiffened, "Will you quit being an ass-!" I whipped around to be met with something unexpected. He grabbed my hand and put a ring on my finger. I stared at it for a minute. It was a ruby. A very bright ruby.

"What the hell is this?"

"An engagement ring" he said, "Think it over an' I'll be back eventually."

He started for the Jeep and my heart leapt into my throat, in a not-too-pleasant way, "VICTOR!" My scream drew the lovers' attention, "You can't just expect me to keep this!"

"I do" he said. He hopped in the Jeep and grinned, "It ain't mine anyway!"

Daken and Lester kissed once more before Daken climbed in. I was fuming, my eyes prickling with wetness that I didn't want him to see; angry tears. Lester waved Daken off, his smile the epitomy of depression. When they were out of sight, I let out an aggravated howl and stormed into the house.

"That's my girl" Vincent murmured, rubbing Vicky's back, "That's my sweet little Vicky. Besides your Momma, you're my leading lady, you know that?"

I melted just a little bit and slid the ring in my pocket, "Vinny? How is she?" Vicky had been having an off-and-on cough since the night before. It worried us both, so Vincent had stayed up-insisting I went to bed-and held her.

He turned to me, smiling, "She's fine. She stopped about two hours ago."

I looked at them and moved a bit closer, "and Slade and Con?" I reached for the twins, gathering them to be fed.

"Perfect as always" he said. Vicky seemed to already have him wrapped around her little finger. It made me smile as his eyes darted to me, "She's as beautiful as you, you know."

I turned red, "Vinny..."

He leaned in and kissed me, "I love you."

"I love you too."

The ring felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket as he looked between me and our three babies. He sat down near me with Vicky in his arms, waiting for Conrad to be done, knowing Slade was much more of a clinger than his brother. We locked eyes, and I smiled, and suddenly...the ring's burning stopped.


	80. Issue 80

_2_

"Please, you're killing me with anticipation" I murmured as Vincent lead me into the darkened rec room, "Will you just tell me already?"

He stopped in the center of the room, whispering, "Close your eyes."

I nodded. He shut the door, and I heard him moving around. Light touched my closed eyes; bringing out a smile. I heard a soft musical sound as he said, "Open your eyes for me."

I did, to see most of the room bathed in pink strobe light. It flashed to white every so often, slowly. He sat with his amp and his guitar, smiling, and beckoned to the couch. I sat, and he put his foot on the amp, and began to play.

_"Baby girl, where you at?  
Got no strings, got men attached  
Can't stop that feelin' for long no  
Mmmm  
You makin' dogs wanna beg  
Breaking them off your fancy legs  
But they make you feel right at home, now  
See all these illusions just take us too long  
And I want it bad..  
Because you walk pretty,  
Because you talk pretty,  
'Cause you make me sick  
And I'm not leavin', till you're leavin'  
Oh I swear there's something when she's pumpin',  
Asking for a raise  
Well does she want me to carry her home now?  
So does she want me to buy her things?  
On my house, on my job  
On my loot, shoes, my shirt,  
My crew, my mind, my father's last name?  
When I get you alone  
When I get you you'll know baby_

_When I get you alone_

_When I get you alone now  
Baby girl you the shit  
That makes you my equivalent  
Well you can keep your toys in the drawer tonight,  
All right  
All my dogs talkin' fast-  
Ain't you got some photographs?  
'Cause you shook that room like a star, now  
Yes you did, oh  
All these intrusions just take us too long  
And I want you so bad..  
Because you walk city,  
Because you talk city,  
'Cause you make me sick  
And I'm not leavin', till you're leavin'  
So I pray to something she ain't bluffin',  
Rubbin' up on me  
Well does she want me to make a vow?  
Well does she want me to make it now?  
On my house, on my job  
On my loot, shoes, my voice,  
My crew, my mind, my father's last name?  
When I get you alone  
When I get you you'll know baby  
When I get you alone  
When I get you alone."_

I was blushing by the time he descended into Silly Love Songs, then softly into Somewhere Only We Know. My eyes teared, and eventually they spilled down my cheeks. He placed his guitar down and knelt in front of me. His touch was gentle as he cradled my face, his thumbs softly sweeping away the tears, "Don't cry. You're too beautiful to cry."

I choked back a sob, my hands resting over his, "Oh Vinny..."

His lips tenderly pressed to mine. I kissed back eagerly. Softly, he slipped his tongue between my lips and nudged me back onto the couch. I hooked my legs around his waist, hearing his groan as my hips pressed to his. He drew back and looked into my eyes, "I know you've been stressed out, and I wanna fix that." His hands softly trailed up my sides, the tips of his claws pressing through the fabric of my shirt, making me shiver. Heat started to burn in my veins. He lowered his mouth to my neck, softly kissing and biting tenderly. I gasped as his fangs grazed my throat, "Vincent..."

His beautiful, smoldering eyes gazed into mine, "Is Lottie really your full name?"

I blushed. His gaze was so burning, like it seared my skin in all the right ways. I squirmed, not answering. His mouth softly lowered to mine, the tip of his tongue flicking against my canines. I tasted a bit of his blood and moaned against his mouth. He bit my lip tenderly, not drawing blood, but making me shiver. His tone was soft, "Please? I can coax it out of you."

I moaned. Yes, he could. He could make me tell him anything with his beautiful torture. His hand slipped under my shirt and slowly brushed across my stomach, up to my bra. I gasped and whimpered, "Vincent, please...later, okay?"

He gently turned my face, his eyes dancing wickedly, "I wanna know."

I sighed and met his gaze, "You swear on your life to never repeat it in public?"

He smiled, "I swear on my life, my heart, and anything else you want me to swear on."

I hesitated a moment. Vincent had always been a man of his word, but it didn't stop the memories that came with it from being unpleasant. "Charlotte. Charlotte Buckley. I have no middle name."

He smiled and cradled my face, "It's beautiful, just like you. Honestly, I think my mom wasn't thinking clearly when she gave me my middle name...I hate it."

"What is it? It's your turn to give me the embarrassing dirt on your name."

He smiled, "My full name, legally, is Vincent Gregory Creed-Howlett. But as much as she wants me to be a Howlett...I'm just not. I have Creed blood, and I'm actually kinda proud of it."

I nodded and softly stroked his face. He looked at me, his eyes the color of liquid amber. He moved in for another kiss. There was so little urgency in it, but so much passion. I felt like I was suffocating in the heat he was bringing into my veins. His hands tenderly caressed my body through my clothes. I whimpered against his mouth and bucked my hips softly against his. He gently drew away, standing before I had time to stop him.

"Vincent?" I was scared. He never acted like this. The burn of desire was replaced with rejection and fright; I didn't want to have done something wrong.

He turned back and took my hand, "Let me do this right, okay?"

I nodded. He held my hand as he dropped to one knee. I heard the soft pounding of rain and his heart, beating like a hummingbird's wings.

"Charlotte Buckley, I love you. You make me write and sing silly love songs. You've given me a desire to dance in the rain, and hold you when it's late at night and I wake up for no reason than to see you there. I love you, and the life we share. I want to make this real, and even if you don't need a piece of paper to see my love for you is real...it would be nice. I keep my promises, and I promise to love you forever. Marry me."

My heart felt lodged in my throat. Tears poured down my face. They dripped onto his hand. I cracked a smile. My head was spinning.

"Oh Vinny..." I sobbed. He slipped the ring onto my finger. It looked so right there...so I whispered, "Yes."

"Yes?" he seemed shocked.

I nodded, "Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

He threw his arms around me and cheered, "Lottie Creed!"

I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pressed my body entirely against his. I stroked his hair softly, wrapping a strand around my finger. His hands pressed into my lower back as he showered kisses over my throat.

"I love you."

"I love you."

We kissed, and the door flew open. I gasped and turned, jumping in Vincent's grasp. A clap of thunder shook the house.

Kyle stood in the doorway and looked at me, his eyes were red...almost as read as his clothes.

"Ky?" I asked.

He sunk to his knees, and the pain in his voice was comparable to that of a dying man. His voice was hardly above a shaky rasp.

"Laura..."


	81. Issue 81

_3_

"What happened to Laura?" Vincent asked, moving from my side.

A salty scent reached me and I ran to Kyle, throwing my arms around him. He was soaked, and his front was bloody, but his tears flowed freshly. He looked at his hands, "She's dead. She's really dead..."

I froze. Vincent tore out of the room, leaving me holding Kyle.

"What did you say?" my voice was soft.

"She's dead. He just wouldn't stop...he ran her through, again and again..." he sobbed and hung his head, "I cut at him and he wouldn't stop..."

The words terrified me. Kyle and I both jumped from our frozen states as we heard the sound of ensuing violence. I ran into the main part of the house to see Victor, holding his badly clawed face, Arkady holding Nikki back. She cried and screamed at him in another language, purposely keeping me and Vincent out of it. Lester's arms were wrapped around Daken again, and I saw a horrible cut across Daken's face; proof Logan's violent tendencies had gotten worse. I approached them, watching as Lester brushed his fingers tenderly over what was currently a fresh, pink scar.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He ambushed us. Took down Victor before he had time to blink. He got Kyle in the throat and Laura...she leapt in. I was moving, but he blinded me" Daken blinked, "I can see out of my right, my left's still healing. You're a little fuzzy."

Lester softly pressed his lips just above the healing wound, "Shh." He brought him close, as if healing the wound with his touch, "No more talking. We need to make sure you're okay."

I felt a hand on my back as Vincent's arms slipped around me, "We'll make some tea, you guys can clean up and we'll meet you in the kitchen."

Lester nodded and went to gather Kyle off the floor, where pink water dripped from his clothes. For the first time, I noticed Victor's wounds. He was muddy, and I could tell it was the mixture of grief and the fact Victor had already buried the body that had driven Nikki to her violence. She was slumped in Arkady's arms, the grief having finally taken over. Deep scratches extended from around Victor's upper back to his shoulders and down, onto his chest. It looked as if he were about to have his heart cut out. I moved toward him, gently touching his arm, "Victor, please...go wash those off, they look horrible."

As if on cue, a little blood trickled from his wound. Five slashes-Nikki's claws-crossed his face with three from Logan's, making a makeshift X on his face. My heart twisted in a painful way.

"I'll be fine Lott, go take care of the others."

I slid my arm around his back, "Bullshit. Let me." When he didn't protest, I pulled his shirt off. He roared, as if startled, and dropped to the floor. Nikki seemed to awake from her stupor as she looked at him. Fresh blood ran in streams down his back and chest, and I looked at him, "Oh Victor..."

I helped him up. Arkady's arms accompanied mine, "Come on Comrade, you will heal."

Victor was strangely silent as we helped him to his room. He slammed the door of the bathroom, and I heard the water run almost instantly.

I sighed and turned to Arkady.

"You are engaged?" His voice was laced with surprise. I looked at him, then back at the ring, "Oh...yeah. I guess so. I wish it were happier, though."

"You are not crying" he said, his voice soft. It was true, my heart ached to a painful extent, but I felt no need to cry. I shook my head, "I'm used to hurt. Pain is almost second nature to me."

Arkady's fingers touched my face, returning my gaze to him, "Who is the lucky man?"

"Vincent" my lips quirked upward before falling again. He brought me closer, slowly. I had all the time to move away, but I didn't. I felt so evil as I kissed him back. I was happy, I was engaged, I had children...and yet, Arkady's soft, romantic kiss reminded me of things I'd never had until recently. The princess, locked in the tower, suddenly flocked with admirers and she had no idea which to pick.

"I would like my hand at proposing to you as well."

He lead me off to his room, surprising me, "Arkady..."

He placed the ring in my hand, softly, "I bought this for you. A white gold ring, for my little white kitten. Whether you choose to accept what it represents or not, you must keep the ring. It is for you."

My heart twisted in my chest. The ring I had on my finger was beautiful, and Victor's ring had been move from my pocket to my jewlery box. Pain shot through my heart, and hot tears ran down my face. He moved closer, "Lottie-"

I held up my hand. For a moment, I forgot how to breath. My heart was twisting in my chest, doing unnatural things that sent debilitating pain through me. I sunk to my knees. Arkady was at my side, rubbing my back. Ragged, ripping sounds were coming from somewhere in my chest; intense sobs that made my head spin when I took in air.

"Calm down, please. Do not cry...white kitten, please stop crying" he murmured, "Please."

I pushed him away. He looked surprised and a touch hurt. My voice was three octives higher than usual, "I have three gorgeous, spectacular men, all of them want me and for some damn reason I can't decide! I love you all, why can't two of you just hate me! Why can't you make this choice for me?"

"Because I love you" his words were soft, and it was twisting the dagger in my chest. I ran back to our room and put the ring away, out of sight. I was about to take Vincent's ring off when the door shut.

He stood there, looking at me. The other two hadn't seemed to mind my rejection; maybe it was age, or their profession, or their history with women, but Vincent's eyes shone with pain. Deep, stabbing pain that sent the dagger through my heart and into my lungs. I stopped breathing for about a full minute.

He moved closer, his tears about to fall, "I can't compete with them, can I?"

I dropped, almost as if I'd fainted. He jumped to my side, but the sobbing had begun again. He held my head on his lap as I shook with every ragged sob, burying my face in his legs, my eyes closed, forcing myself not to see him. Of all the stupid things in the world, why this? Why couldn't I simply laugh it off and look in his eyes and tell him that I loved him more than Arkady and Victor? It was what I felt, it was what had to be true...except, I loved them all equally, in my heart. Arkady had never touched me until he knew I was ready to be touched. Victor invaded my space like a petulant child; he treated me like a battered pair of shoes. It was a familiar feeling. Vincent was tender in everything he did, gentlemanly, loving beyond what I deserved. I'd corrupted his innocence, I'd stolen his life. He could've had a future with another woman, he could've had a happy life. And yet...somehow, every part of me clung to him like it knew more than I did.

His hands softly rubbed my back for a while, before he lifted me into his arms. I didn't want to meet his gaze, but his grip was firm, yet gentle, as if he were about to repremand a spoiled child.

That was exactly how I felt. Like a spoiled child.

"I love you. I want you happy."

I slapped him. He looked shocked. I gripped his shoulders, "Fucking make me choose. I can't hurt you anymore. I can't stand seeing you in pain when another man kisses me. You can be happy Vincent! Without me!"

I saw something in his eyes, he was tempted to slap me back.

"You don't need the agony I cause you!"

He snapped. He threw me onto his bed and climbed over me, yelling at me, "If I didn't want you, do you think I'd have given you my grandmother's ring? Do you think I would've sang to you, and held our children, and made love to you the way I do? Do you think that I want you when just your touch, just the feel of your body in my arms, is enough to make me want to make me claim you as forcibly as I can? I'm more at peace with my animal nature than I've ever been, all because of you! You _complete me_, you silly, beautiful, _perfect_ girl! There's no peace for me without you! There's never been peace for me! Not without you! I want you forever, and if I have to _kill_ my competition to keep you, I'll do it, because I _will not let you go!_"

His grip locked around my wrists, tears falling from his eyes to mingle with mine. After he'd let out his shouts, he took my hand and kissed the ring, then my lips. He released me, "If I can't make you happy, tell me now."

"I am happy with you" I whispered.

"Then I'm going to fight for you until my heart stops beating. You're worth the pain, you're worth everything. I am your mate, do you understand that? We are made for each other, by God, by nature, whatever. We are meant to be." He held my face and brushed away my tears again.

I nodded softly, "I love you."

He looked at me, "I love you too." He turned my face, and I let him. My heart pounded a bit. He lowered his mouth to my neck and bit down, hard. I gasped. After he drew back, I felt blood still trickling. I clamped my hand over my neck and stared at him, "It's not healing."

He undid the top button on his shirt, "Your turn."

"Why isn't it healing?" I almost screamed.

He gently held me and lowered me back against the bed. His touch was tender and his smile amused, "Because you admitted it."

I was lost for a moment, scared. The bite was on a vein, and if it didn't heal, I could bleed to death. He gently moved my hand and held it, licking a little blood off my fingers. I was crying, frightened out of my mind.

He nuzzled me, "Charlotte, do you really believe I'd hurt you?"

I shook my head.

"Bite me" he whispered. He leaned in and licked the tender wound. I whimpered. It throbbed under his mouth. Slowly, I felt his hands gently moving, pushing my shirt up. He began to tickle my stomach with his claws, "Bite me."

I giggled against my will, "No."

"I said bite me" he tickled me more intensely.

"No."

"Bite me!" he put gentle pressure on my tender wound. I gasped and arched against him, sudden fire in my veins. I pushed him back, my eyes wide. He smiled, "This is your mark now. It says you belong to me."

I unbuttoned his shirt and moved to his shoulder. The perfect, unmarred skin of his shoulder, close to his heart. I bit him, roughly, tasting his blood on my tongue. He groaned and pressed me closer. I softly ran my tongue against his skin until the blood halted. Gently, I moved away and looked at him. It was a strange mark, but it warmed my heart nonetheless. He stood and offered me his hand, "Come on Mrs. Creed, we have some work ahead of us."

I blushed as I slipped my hand into his, "Will they ask?"

He grinned, "Daken knows better, and Vic'll be put out, but that just means it's better for me."

"Oh?" I said, slipping under his arm to nuzzle his fresh wound.

"Yeah" he said, grinning, "I win."

I shook my head as he opened the door for me, "Men."

"Would you rather I were like my brother?"

I glanced at him over my shoulder, "You're mine. Any bitch touches you, and I'll kill her. Or him."

He smirked and pulled me close at the top of the stairs, "The feeling is mutual." With a gentle kiss, he lead the way downstairs. I expected an onslaught of pain, dealing with the loss of my friend and sister-to-be, but I was surprised by not feeling it at all. Every time he looked at me, a surge of warmth went through my heart, and it was quite often he did.

Daken finally noticed, and laughed, "And they lived happily ever after. Great."

**X**


	82. Issue 82

**Cew- Logan isn't dead, Laura is. You'll see come later on, trust me.**

**Hell's Belle**

_1_

They say grief makes people...crazy.

I don't know why we haven't felt any yet; but I do know the bloodlust is driving me mad. Every time she moves, every time I look at her, two kinds of feelings slam through me. The part of me that really is me looks at her with love and pride and regular lust...but the animal thirsts to lead her on a hunt. To kill, and prove his worth. I was fighting him again. Now I'm not.

Quietly, I waited in the Jaguar. Lottie slipped out and climbed in shotgun, her body hugged so alluringly in her leathers and corset. She slipped inside nearly silently and I took off down the drive. Even the animal was putting his bloodlust aside for a moment to growl possessively. She mewled softly, blushing and squirming under my gaze. I brought her out of her seat to come closer.

"Vincent, this really isn't safe..." her voice was soft, tinted with a bit of fear.

My arm wrapped around her and softly caressed the swell of her breasts. She bit her lip. "It's safe when you're by me. It's taking all of my self control not to rip this off" I slipped my claws across the lacy edge, drawing a gasp from her, "and claim you right here and now."

She bit her lip, "I'm a little scared. When I gave into it last time..."

"Shh" I murmured, feeling her curves, "You gave in the other night, when you marked me. You need to make peace, like I have."

She moaned softly. I watched her eyes as they shifted and became a passionate red, "I can do that." She straddled my waist and closed her mouth over my neck. I purred and stepped on the gas, my claws softly trailing up her back through the fabric. She growled, "Don't you dare cut that open."

"Not yet" I growled back and pulled her hips down onto mine, earning her sweet gasp and soft chuckle. I licked her ear and purred, "I hope you can fight. As sexy as it would be to suck your wounds clean, I'd rather watch you kill."

"Oh I can kill" she murmured, arching against me, "I will for you."

I dropped her into the other seat, to her surprised whine, as we approached the town. I was going about a hundred and twenty, so I slowed. The city limits were approaching quickly. I might feel horrible about this in the morning, but I needed it.

We slid out and parked in front of a bar; it was an old one, the kind without security cameras. There were more than enough patrons to prove an eventful night. Passers-through, hookers, just the kind of people that wouldn't be missed.

We stalked up slowly, the air of the predator around us. The prostitute hanging on the door gave me a sweet smile; if she looked at Lottie, she thought she wasn't a threat. She moved, stumbling drunkenly over to me. A full hello didn't even leave her before Lottie snarled and pounced.

I laughed.

The relaxed atmosphere tensed instantly. People panicked. A couple men got up to fight. I stepped over Lottie as she moved off the dead prostitute and rose at my back. They were all trapped, and they seemed to know.

"Leave one alive" I murmured to her as she slipped her arms around me. She purred and hugged herself to my back for a moment before slipping under my arm. She gave me one long, bloody kiss before drawing back. The sweet crimson liquid stained her plump, dark lips. I purred, "Go, before I change my mind."

She purred and sprung, as did I. Most of the men were enough to kill with being batted away; but a few men bigger built than me attacked at once, giving me a little challenge. There was a scream, and I turned.

Lottie ripped the human heart right out of the woman's chest as it beat. Blood ran down her arm. She smiled at me and took a long lick before she bit in.

A man charged me with a chair, and I turned and slashed open his throat. The killing, violence and blood...it was relaxing. One woman had hidden in the bathroom, but I soon rethought my words. I didn't want one left alive.

I stepped in. She was trembling against the wall, crying, smelling like alcohol and nature. A hiker, nothing more. She pressed against the mirror, as far away from me as she could get. "Please...please. Don't do this. Don't kill me." She was pretty, for a human. I pinned her there and purred softly in her ear, "Calm yourself. It's alright. I'll give you a head start, huh?"

She shook her head, choking on her sobs. Fear...it made her blood froth...it made the scent so raw and so _sweet_...I gripped her throat almost tenderly. Tears ran down her cheeks. One last time, she tried to plead, "Please."

I slammed her into the mirror and threw her out into the bar. What I saw surprised me. Everyone was dead except for two men. The sight made me proud before it enraged me. Lottie was a beautiful, brutal killer, but she'd reverted out of fear as they cornered her. Blood trickled down her face, and one held a broken bottle in his hand. The bleeding and unconsious woman at my feet became nothing. A low, rumbling growl built in my chest. I charged, slamming them into each other and into the floor. A flash of pain in my shoulder-one was dead. The other screamed pitifully, and Lottie's wide, violet eyes were on me. I smashed the glass into his face, "Touch my mate, you worthless human worm...I'll show you _pain._" Slowly, almost surgically, I cut under his throat. His vocal cords were silenced. He was panicking, but I was slicing slowly, silent screams tearing from him. I beckoned Lottie closer, but she remained where she was. I plunged my claws into his chest and ripped out his heart, going to her.

She whimpered, the wounds healing, "I'm sorry...they caught me by surprise..."

I stroked her face softly, "It's alright. I'm here." I offered her the heart and she shook her head. Gently, I placed it down and touched the bleeding little cuts, taking pieces of glass from her hair and under her skin. She whimpered until my lips met her forehead.

"There's one left for you darling. Want her?"

She nodded, looking at the silent heart. I lifted her and softly lead her to the woman, watching her lean down and cut the heart free. Her action surprised me as she offered it to me.

I smiled and ate out of her palms, watching her eyes smolder as I licked her clean. I brought her closer, kissing her face gently, softly, but her lips more passionately. Her eyes flared back to their previous crimson. She shuddered softly, "I love you."

"and I, you."

She pushed me away softly, "Can it wait, please? I feel...a little disgusting."

"Blood's alright with me" I purred.

"I meant being covered in alcohol."

I laughed and stroked her hair off her face, "Yeah, sure."

I draped my coat over the seat in the jaguar, as per her instruction, and she nuzzled up in it. She smelled sweet, beyond all the carnage. Even with my touch, she still made me wait. We parked and she scurried past the horses in a rush, sneaking inside and running to our bedroom.

The sun was rising as I shut the door and stretched. Her boots were tucked inside the door, and her bloody clothes lay in a pile near the bathroom door. I left my shoes and stripped off my shirt, approaching her. She examined her face. I moved closer and wrapped her in my arms, softly kissing her cheek, "I'll clean that up."

She purred, "I can do that-"

I slipped off her bra and gently slipped my arms around her, kissing her, "Shh."

She moaned as she finished stripping, climbing in the shower with me. I smiled and began to softly massage shampoo into her hair. She relaxed with a heavy sigh, "Oh Vinny..."

I kissed her tenderly as I washed her hair. The urge was gone, at last, for both of us. Her arms slipped around my neck and she toyed with damp strands of my hair. I softly trailed my claws down her sides, earning a shiver and a purr. I took just a little soap and smeared her cheeks, forehead and nose, making her giggle. She washed her face, still giggling, "Discreet of you."

"You had blood all over. Still do." The water had begun to run a mix of red and light brown. She frowned. I took a little of her bodywash in my hands and began to massage her skin. She purred softly. "Jasmine?"

"Your favorite" I murmured, massaging her back as she relaxed. Tenderly, my hands slipped back up her body. She leaned into me as my touch stroked over her stomach. She trembled and looked at me with her pretty violet eyes. I resisted the temptation to kiss her as my hands softly drifted over her. She moaned. I released her to travel the length of her elegant legs once over. She blushed and scurried back, "Wait..."

I looked at her with an innocent smile, "Yes, my love?"

"You don't get a turn til I get one."

I purred as she lathered up her hands and started at my chest. Her touch was enough to break the temptation. I kissed her as her hands wandered over my back. I purred softly into her mouth. Her claws dug into my backside and I yelped, my eyes widening. She laughed softly, "Sorry. It was an accident."

I shook my head and pinched her, earning a yelp of hers. She rubbed her finely curved bum and smacked my arm, "That hurt."

I kissed her apologetically. Tenderly, I washed her skin. She moaned and looked at me, her eyes smoldering delicately. She wasn't, by any degree, defenseless, frail or fragile...but she was delicate, like a rose in spring. There were reasons I would go to hell and back for her, and most of them were expressed on a daily basis. She beckoned me closer and wrapped her arms around my neck. I lifted her and pinned her against the tile. She smelled so warm and inviting...she was so beautiful, and all mine. My mouth covered hers in the most passionate kiss we'd shared since we sated our mutual bloodlust. She trembled softly, our bodies joining gently. Her kiss drew me in, soft like silk, addictive like opium. I couldn't get enough. I kissed down her throat softly, my hands caressing her skin.

"Vincent" her whisper against my lips was soft. I looked into her eyes. Tenderly, she caressed my face. With our eyes locked, time seemed to stop for a long moment. Her eyes fluttered, smoldering with passion. I kissed her again, bringing her closer. I could feel her pulse as well as I could feel my own. I stopped kissing her to allow her to press her forehead to mine. She moaned my name, and I hers.

I held her, the warm water caressing us both before I set her down. She blushed and shivered as we both finished up washing off, "It's gotta be daylight by now..."

She shut off the water and I grabbed her a towel, "So? It's not like we've done anything..." My smile was short lived as I heard Victor's name called. We both looked at each other in worry.

"Maybe we should stay here a while..." Lottie wrapped her towel around herself, blushing brightly.

I nodded and glanced her over as she yawned. Stretching like a cat, she dried as she headed into the bedroom, my eyes following. I sighed wholeheartedly, and drying off myself, followed.


	83. Issue 83

_2_

Vincent wasn't in bed with me when I woke, but our clothes had been...properly hidden. I couldn't even smell the blood. I climbed out of bed and slipped into a sundress. I cleaned up and walked downstairs barefoot.

There was an almost thunderous _crack_ and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Victor was shocked at himself too, I could tell. Nikki looked at him in shock, tears prickling her eyes. Her cheek was turning red from the force of his slap-the slap that had just sent her to the floor. Victor knelt by her, bringing her close, "Damn babe I'm sorry...I didn't mean t' do that..."

She shook her head and lifted herself, "It just shocked me, that's all. I'm fine."

"I hit ya, you're not fine" he said. Hot rage coursed through my veins as I watched him bring her close apologetically, purring in her ear and giving her a gentle touch. After the way he treated me, I felt like I deserved it more than her, even if she was his _mate._

I wasn't even aware I was growling until Victor looked at me, "What?"

I launched myself at him. He was taken by surprise, but still managed to stop me, and not in his usual way. He sighed and held me while I struggled, "Jealous much, kitten?"

My face burned, "You never apologized to me."

He laughed, "I can't apologize for that. You're gorgeous, an' I gave ya a couple of kids. You want me to apologize for that?"

I shook my head and pushed him against the wall, "I want you to apologize for taking advantage of me! It's one thing to kiss me when I want it, it's a whole something else to break my spine and leave me out in the rain!"

He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry I broke your spine and left ya in the rain. I'm not sorry I took my chances and had my way with ya."

"Arrogant bastard" I snarled and left him where he stood.

"You seem t' like it."

When I stormed into the kitchen, Lester was sitting with Ronnie, feeding her with her little plastic spoon, "Everyone thinks Victor killed all those people in town."

"All what people?" I asked, grabbing the orange juice and pouring myself a glass.

"A bar got decimated in town last night. They don't even have DNA. No cameras, no living witnesses, but some hearts are missing, so...Vic fits the profile."

I walked over and sat across from him. He was focused entirely on the baby, his gaze intense. He wiped her mouth when she drooled and patiently fed her an apple and plum blend. I watched for a long moment before saying, "Do you and Daken want kids?"

"He has kids, his ex wife has them on Nation X. His other ex is coming back from space in a week, so...this oughta be good."

I sighed and looked at him, watching as tenderness spread across his expression. "You're a killer...a pretty damn good one too. So is Daken, so are Victor, Logan, Kyle, Arkady and Nikki...why are you all here? Why give all that up for this?"

"You know how much you love your kids?"

I nodded.

"That's how much I love this family. Daken...he brought me here with the greatest fear of a cold welcome. Logan, he's never liked me much, but when Nikki saw the way we looked at each other...she lit up. She invited me into the family, and I stayed. Do you know what that's like?"

I nodded again.

"I've never had much family, but Nikki's a damn good mother. She makes me feel like her kid."

I sighed, "I'm sorry."

He looked at me in surprise, "Bout what? You've been nothing but sweet."

I squirmed in my chair and said, "Vincent and I killed those people last night."

It seemed like everything froze. Victor took up the doorway, "You did?"

I nodded.

He burst out laughing and went over to me, scooping me out of my chair in a bear hug, "Alright, NOW I apologize for everything, you could castrate me!"

I blushed. Brightly. I felt him nuzzle me and laugh as he set me down. My knees were going weak. _Damn him. Damn him and every feeling he gives me._ He looked at Nikki, who simply shook her head.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"Of course not" she said, "I had my fair share of...moods. It'll go cold, like a lot of other mass murders out here." She glanced to Victor and he sighed, "Babe, it was _one time._"

I smiled, "You two killed together?"

"Frequently" Nikki said and glanced to him, "Before what happened that lead to Vincent, we were partners."

"You never brought that up."

"You never asked" Victor said as he sat down. He looked at her and smiled, "She outdid me, I'll admit. The woman's the best there is at what we do, or at least, she was before she became such a sweet little angel."

"Fuck you Vic" she said.

I laughed, "How long were you two partners?"

"Oh, about two years. Then it all went to hell quickly."

"Bout that babe...I'm sorry about that too. I know it caused you a lotta hell...shit, it caused a lotta hell between us when I came back." As she approached the table, he pulled her onto his lap. He purred and kissed her. She smiled and pushed on his chest, "You're not apologizing, because Vincent came of that. That's what happened, and it's alright now."

"There are simply days when I love you woman, I hope you know that."

She smiled and bumped noses with him, "That doesn't mean you get to pass on finding Logan."

"I will for you babe, but I'm going in armed next time. We underestimated him, and we aren't gonna do it again."

She nodded and twisted her fingers in his hair, bringing him back to her, making him purr as she kissed him, "Just be careful."

His hand rested on her back, "Until you decide I'm fit t' die, I'll stick around."

I watched, and sadness gripped my heart. Sadness, and empathy. I got up and left the kitchen, going out and running toward the stable to find Vincent, and maybe, escape my guilt for a while.


	84. Issue 84

_3_

"Vincent?" I called into the garage, passing the horses.

Arkady looked up from a half-covered car, "He is on horseback white kitten. Is there anything I can do for you?"

I sighed as I walked in and climbed onto the hood of the Jaguar, "I just was hoping for some company, is all."

He wiped his hands on a cloth and took a chair from the side of the room, carrying it over and sitting nearby, "I am here. You can tell me what troubles you." He reached out and tenderly caressed my face. The effect of his touch was like petting a cat; I purred and nuzzled his hands. He laughed softly and brushed a lock of my hair back, "He must be honored to be your fiancee."

I blushed lightly, "He is."

We smiled to each other when a sudden, striking pain slammed into my ribs. I gasped and doubled over. A wave of heat spread from my toes to my skull. I dropped to my knees, looking at Arkady in desperation. I could hardly hear his words. I curled into myself, biting my lip. My head spun for a second before suddenly becoming clear. This was what Vincent had warned me about. This was why Victor had lost his wife. Vincent and I were meant to be, but he was god knows how far away, and I didn't know how long I could last in this state.

The heat lessened as I felt Arkady's touch; stroking my hair. His lips tenderly pressed to my face. The heat faded, condensing in the pit of my stomach. He held me against him, my legs on the cool concrete floor.

"Tell me what I can do."

I grasped him by his collar and kissed him. He seemed surprised, but obliged. In the moment, I thought nothing of my desperation, only that it had to happen, and that it did. I only truly came to my senses once we'd parted ways afterward. I sat in the garden, my heart heavy. I looked up and saw the sight that lifted it. Vincent on his horse, approaching the house from the far grassland, about a mile away. I stood and moved toward the slope of the hill, smiling. He was about a mile away, but I knew he was riding without a saddle, on the big, wild horse. No saddle or reigns. He seemed to notice me and the horse did an amazing leap, closing distance quickly. His grin became visible as he approached. I moved to the garden to allow the horse a moment of rest as he rode up. He laughed joyfully as he dismounted, leaping down and sweeping me into his arms, "Beautiful girl..." He kissed me. He paused. I watched his eyes cloud with worry as he sniffed me again. He exhaled, "Oh baby, I'm sorry..."

"What? For what?"

He stroked my cheek tenderly, "It started."

I nodded. He sighed and held me against his side, leading the horse to the stable. I waited for him, my face reddened with blush. He returned and held my face, softly, "Are you alright?"

I nodded and met his eyes, "Are you angry with me?"

"No. Not at all" he brushed his fingers over my cheek, "I'm happy you're safe."

As I lay in bed later that night, wrapped in his arms, I looked at him, "Do you think we're safe? I haven't felt any more pain."

"We could be" his cheeks pinked a bit, "After the past couple of days, maybe this was just an easy thing for the first time, you know? Maybe we'll see next time..."

I nuzzled into his throat, softly kissing his neck. He held me close and stroked my hair as I drifted off to sleep in his arms. His words reached me, gentle and tender, "No matter what you do baby, I'm always gonna stand by you. Nothing can change that now."

**X**


	85. Issue 85

**One Man's Worth**

_1_

"I'll never get used to that" Alex said as he swung his legs at the table.

Victor gently coaxed Ronnie into accepting her bottle, looking at the newly-grown boy, "I'll never understand you kid. You go from an infant to a six year old at will, don't you?"

"I can go older, but I like six. Six is a happy number, like seven."

Victor's touch on his infant daughter's face was tender as he looked at her tiny figure. One of her hands was wrapped around his index finger while the other gripped the bottle with him. He waited until she'd finished and lightly burped her before he looked at the boy, "Touch my daughter an' I'll kill ya."

Alex raised his hands in defense, "Hey, I won't do it if she doesn't want me to. I'm not you."

Victor's hand pounded the table, "What did you just say, ya little runt?"

"Boys!" Nikki shouted as she entered the kitchen, "Do I have to make you both go to your rooms?"

"No Mommy" Alex said, sitting down with a sullen expression.

Victor looked her over, smirking, "Only if you'll come with an' punish me."

Nikki blushed and Alex choked on his orange juice, "Dude! Telepath in the room! Child telepath!"

"Then don't look" Victor purred as he pulled her closer, placing Ronnie in her arms and leaning in for a kiss, which she obliged without hesitation. Alex sat up and froze, looking out the window, "Mommy?"

"I said don't look" Victor said, "It was for your own good."

"What?" Nikki asked as Victor pulled away.

Alex hopped down and went to her side, clinging to her hip, "There's somebody outside."

"Who?" Victor growled, set on edge by the way Alex's scent clouded with fear.

"I think it's Daddy. He came to take Mommy with him."

"With him where?" Nikki asked, reassuringly stroking her son's hair.

"Away...to the woods" Alex clung to her and his eyes filled with tears, "He's not thinking like a person Mommy...I'm scared."

Victor looked at Nikki and growled, "Take 'em upstairs an' keep 'em all together. If he gets past me, we're gonna need t' hit him head on with everything we got."

"You're gonna wait then, because I'm not letting you go alone" she said. He watched as she lead Alex upstairs. After a moment, hearing Tayla whimper and Ronnie's coos become frightened, he followed. He was met with Daken, Kyle, Arkady, Nikki, and Vincent in the hallway.

"Hell no, the runt isn't getting anywhere near my son" Victor growled.

"If it wasn't worth putting my ass on the line, d'you think I'd do it?" Vincent asked, "I'm coming. You can't make me stay."

Victor growled, "If he tries t' kill you, all bets are off." He looked at Nikki, "You understand that? You an' him are more important than bringing runt in whole."

Nikki visibly choked. Her bravery aside, he knew she was a stronger cause for concern than she would be a help. Worrying about her and Vincent would only slow him down. "Darlin, just stay here. At least he can fight."

She shook her head like a petulant child, "It's my house Vic, my land. He can face me on it."

He wanted to say what he was thinking, but he dared not risk his reputation in front of his former rivals. He sighed and gestured for them to head out. He caught her arm and held her in place a moment, gazing into her eyes, willing her to understand. _If anything ever happened to you, I could never forgive myself. You're all I have left, don't do this. Pull him in and stay. I'll beg if that's what it takes, just stay where I don't have to worry about you._

She stood on her toes to kiss him, breaking the intensity of his gaze, "I'll be fine. Trust me."

He sighed, releasing her. The three feral boys had their eyes trained on a specific section of the trees when Nikki and Victor joined them.

"He's hesitating" Vincent said, "He wasn't expecting all of us. He's not up for a fight."

Nikki sniffed and Victor held her back. She looked at him, desperately, "Victor, he's hurt. I have to...please let me go. He's hurt."

"An' he'll heal. Let him come to you."

She watched the tree line from their place on the hill, the scent of his blood wafting closer. He stepped out and began across the distance toward them, limping, his clothes barely rags. He felt Nikki stiffen. He approached them warily; knowing his attackers. He looked at her, and Victor saw the fire ignite in his eyes.

"Fuck" he muttered.

Logan's claws extended and he charged. Victor pushed Nikki out of the way, charging back. He heard her shout for him, but he didn't listen, as usual. He took the hit, Logan's claws becoming embedded in his torso, just under his ribs. He slammed him into the ground, pinning him down with a knee. The other set of his claws went through his hand. Logan seemed as distracted as he was. Arkady approached, his coils slipping out. He heard the hesitation in each of Nikki's small whimpers as Arkady got closer. She didn't want him dead, he knew that, but he was no good to them feral either. Arkady's coils wrapped around Logan's throat.

"Don't" she whimpered.

He glanced over, watching Daken slip an arm around her and hold her back, telling her it was alright. That seemed to break her. She charged at them. Before Victor had time to get up, Vincent had her on her back on the ground, his hand around her throat, "Calm down! You want him back? We're getting him back! Relax!"

She looked at him, shocked, but Victor grinned proudly. She was about to push him off, but he tightened his hold. "Sorry Mom...you need to understand."

He watched as he released her after a moment, having cut off her air just long enough to render her unconscious. Logan growled and fought, trying to sink his claws into them. When he'd passed out, Victor looked over to Vincent, "Ya got anywhere safe t' stick him?"

"This is the worst idea I've ever seen" Kyle said.

Logan was unconscious in an adamantium cage, in one of the guest rooms. Vincent looked at it, "It may not be."

"Why? What if he breaks out?"

"Because. You really have no faith in me?"

Kyle gave him a sidelong glance, "You're dating a woman eight years older than you who is twice as gorgeous as normal girls. I have nothing but faith in you."

Vincent grinned and ushered him out, "Good. Cause I have a plan."

"Is it a good one?"

"Maybe...I sorta asked Deadpool..."


	86. Issue 86

_2_

The days that followed had fallen into a depressing routine. Nikki tried to spend as much time as possible with Logan, which was making Victor more than a little angry. He knew if he tried to take control, she'd probably kill him.

So he took a different route.

"Come meet me outside" Victor said to Vincent as he played with Slade.

Vincent looked up, "Okay...when?"

"Now."

Vincent nodded and got up, getting someone to watch the kids. Victor stalked out and down the hill, back toward the ruins of the little town at the base of the hill. He waited in the spot they'd fought. Vincent followed minutes later.

"What's up?"

The boy was almost a mirror image of him, he realized. He looked just like him when he was young, just after he'd begun to kill. He moved toward him and let out a breath, "Damn...you grew."

Vincent smiled, "Well, I sorta had to."

He nodded. Vincent seemed to catch on to the tense atmosphere and he shifted uneasily. His heartbeat kicked up as the fight or flight instinct came in. Victor moved away, and it didn't ease his anxiety. The look of the predator was still in his eyes, and he could see it.

"You know, you can tell me what's going on. If you're worried about me telling anybody, I'm not a rat."

"I know you aren't."

"I'm gonna give you two options" Victor growled, shifting toward him. Vincent's eyes widened, seeing the fury burning in his eyes. He stayed blessedly silent. "You can run, an' not toward the house, as far as you can as fast as you can...or you can fight."

"What are you talking about?"

Victor didn't answer, just whipped around and slammed into him. He heard him cry out as something snapped in his torso, blow after blow being struck to his face. He blocked, but in no other way defended himself. Victor got up and kicked him in the chest, feeling something else crack. He let out an agonized scream, tears falling down his cheeks, "Dad...stop..."

He looked at him and roared, "Fight back! You're fucking worthless if you can't fight back!"

Vincent coughed and clutched his stomach, sobbing, "Please...don't."

Victor picked him up and slammed him into the wall. He shook as he tried to rise. He cracked him across the face, hearing him whimper as he fell. Those beautiful, innocent, un-haunted amber eyes looked up at him. He'd taken beatings before; he'd faced the violence and the force of Victor's rage before, and still he was so pure and innocent.

"You should hate me" Victor growled, slamming him onto a decrepit table, surprised when it didn't break. Vincent choked from the force of Victor's hold. Victor roared in his face, "WHY DON'T YOU HATE ME?"

Vincent's tears coursed down his face. He choked on a sob, "Because...you're my Dad...a-and I love you..."

He hit him until he broke the table. He overturned it and spilled him off onto the dirt floor. He whimpered and lay still.

Every instinct in the rational part of his mind told him to go to his son, see if he was alright, even apologize, but he wasn't using the rational part of his mind anymore. He kicked him in the back, hard, hearing him whimper again. He coughed, blood coming from his lips to stain the dirt.

The blood set him off. He lifted him up and punched him in the stomach, watching him stumble into the wall. Tears coursed down his face as blood dripped from his lip. His teeth were stained red, as well as his mouth. It dripped down from his chin. The scent filled the air until he couldn't smell anything else. He closed his mouth over his, feeling weak protests. He growled and ripped the boy's wrist away from his body, his eyes full of burning rage, "Your blood tastes just like your mother's." He sunk his teeth in, a weak whine coming from him. He didn't have the strength to scream. He sucked the wound until it healed. He looked at him, watching his head roll back against the wall. His chest was heaving in an unnatural way.

He pulled him onto his stomach on the floor, watching as he choked and coughed up blood. He rubbed his back, soothing his violent coughing as his healing factor kicked in.

"Did...that help?" Vincent whimpered as he nearly collapsed.

Victor caught him and turned him gently, holding him. "Yeah, it did." He swiped his thumb across his son's lip, tasting the blood. Vincent blinked slowly, on the verge of blacking out.

"The pain's over Vince, you can rest easy."

He nodded, a little unwillingly, but he couldn't keep himself going anymore. He passed out in Victor's hold.

When Vincent woke, he was in his bed, but his body hurt. Badly. He didn't want to move. His skin felt almost sterile, and almost all the scent had been scrubbed off him. He looked at his hand, sighing, and curled back under his pillow. He sniffed, a few tears falling down his face as he fell back asleep.


	87. Issue 87

_3_

He felt a tender touch and flinched as he opened his eyes.

"Hey" Lottie murmured, leaning over him. Her lips gently pressed to his forehead, "You were asleep when I got in, so I let you rest..." Her touch on his chest was tender, but it still made him wince. She caught it and frowned, "Are you okay?"

"Little stiff...sore. I think I slept funny" he said, sitting up.

She tenderly touched his face, her thumb rubbing over a bruise on his cheek. He softly kissed her wrist, holding her close in his arms. He leaned into her, feeling her fingers lightly stroke his hair.

"Vinny, talk to me" she murmured.

"Is Victor downstairs?"

He felt her nod. At the very mention, his body began to hurt. He looked at her and admitted, "I don't feel well."

"Are you sick?" she helped him lay down and instantly began to fawn over him, "I'll bring you dinner in bed, okay?"

He nodded, letting her leave the room, though fear twisted the pit of his stomach uncomfortably.

She let him out on the first day. He'd expressed no interest in leaving the room once he had her in his arms. He made soft, comforting sounds as he nuzzled her, kissed her, and with each day, slowly came back to himself a little more.

Logan's fingers stroked through her hair, listening to her content purr as she lay on his chest on the bed.

"I love you" she whispered quietly, her hand on his jaw, stroking his side burns gently, "Do you remember when we were part of the X-Men? When we would spend days on end in exotic places...seeing and saving the world?"

He gave her a quiet confirmation, taking her hand in his. She looked at him as he kissed her palm and each of her finger tips individually. His eyes were a soft, clam blue like the summer sky. He lifted her, making her squeak as she was pulled up on his chest and kissed tenderly. She kissed him back and looked into his eyes, "Baby, make peace with it...for me. So you can come back to me."

He looked at her and tenderly stroked her face. For a long time, they looked into each others' eyes. He stroked her face, and she his, before he murmured to her, "Like that?"

Her jaw dropped as he grinned. She playfully smacked his shoulder, "Were you playing me?"

"For the last day and a half, yeah" he said with a grin, "I liked keeping you to myself." He pulled her closer, his hands slipping along her waist as he kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A few days later, Nikki watched as Vincent limped inside. She went to him, grasping his shoulders. He started, as if shocked out of a daze. His face was covered in dirt; bruises covered his face from his temple across his face. His nose was clearly broken and healing.

"Mom..." he clutched her wrists and looked into her eyes, "Please let it go..."

"What happened?"

Her touch was gentle, filled with concern. He broke away and ran upstairs as best he could with the few broken bones he had. She looked outside and saw Victor heading up from the hill. She walked out, her growl reverberating from her chest, "What happened to him?"

"Nothin', he's fine."

"Tell me."

He grabbed her arms, pulling her close, "You care? Really? He's just like me Nikki, you know that?" He grinned at her, exposing his bloody teeth, "He fights like you used to. Makes me wonder if he's really fighting me."

She hit him across the face hard. He growled, but his growl was cut short by her claws sinking into his shoulders.

"Release, or I rip them off."

He laughed and flung her onto the ground. He rolled his shoulders, popping his joints, and grinned.

"Please darlin, you can't handle me."

She grinned. He moved toward her, grinning in reply, and she leapt up and headbutted him. He growled and struck her. She kneed him in the stomach, using her momentum to resist his clutch and near-throw. Her leg hooked around his, bringing him down on top of her.

He chuckled as he traced her hip with his claws, "Couldn't wait to get me back on top of you, could you?"

She hit him, hard. The force of it cracked her hand in several places, but the more satisfying sound of a few of his bones breaking made her smile, "Do it again and I'll let Logan kill you."

"Please. It took him a lifetime the first time, what makes ya think he has the balls to do it again?"

"Aside from the fact he's right behind you?"

The bluff was enough to shock Victor into turning. She hit him again, forcing him back, but before she could move, he clipped her with his claws. She fell and he grabbed her, tumbling away. She looked at him, squaring off, her chest heaving and her claws out. Victor circled her, moving closer, "I smell the fear in your blood frail...you know time's up, don'tcha?"

She closed her eyes and whispered, "Let him back Sabretooth. I thought he made peace with you."

"Nah, I've just been waiting for the right moment" he growled, pulling her back against his chest. She trembled. He shoved her forward, her eyes opening as she stumbled into the tree by the pond. He pressed her against it, growling, "How about this time we just make war instead'a love?"

A feral roar pierced the air and Lottie lunged off the top of the hill, building enough momentum to tackle him into the water. She held her breath as he roared and forced her down to push himself to the surface. The water churned as they fought, the fish scurrying for cover. Victor slammed into her, throwing her out of the water and onto the shore on her back.

Nikki leapt onto his back and he body-slammed her into the tree, making the old bark chip in some places, but successfully dropping her off.

Lottie panicked and ran, even with him pursuing.

She sprinted up the hill, glancing over her shoulder. He was closing in on her. He lunged onto all fours and swiped her calf, knocking her down. She caught herself before she could fully fall and jolted back to her feet, scurrying into the kitchen. Her hand clamped over the wound as she crawled into the corner, against the old stove. Tears prickled her eyes in terror.

She looked at him as he stalked in. He grinned wickedly, baring his visible teeth. A low growl rumbled out of his throat.

"Victor...look at me. Lottie, remember?" her attempts to talk him out of it seemed short-lived. Tears cascaded down her face as terror enveloped her. "It's me. You apologized. Y-You said...you wouldn't hurt me anymore..."

"_Victor_ said it doll. You're face-to-face with _Sabretooth._" She shielded her face, whimpering, curling into herself and hoping the blow wouldn't be a fatal one. His roar forced her to look up. He was poised to strike.

Arkady's coil ripped through his chest suddenly, followed by the other, flinging him outside once more. He moved toward her, scooping her gently in his arms, "White kitten, are you alright?"

She nodded weakly, blinking as he set her down by the door into the other room. Victor growled and pawed the ground like a wild bull, his eyes focused on Arkady. She trembled as Arkady charged him, his human-sounding aproximation of a roar meeting the sound Victor made that compared to a rabid, wild lion. Arkady's coil wrapped around his neck as the other slammed back through him, directly through his heart.

Lottie gasped, staring at them both.

Victor's claws slashed open Arkady's chest. Bright red blood began to stain his clothes, and Lottie lurched to her feet. She stumbled toward them, screaming, "ARKADY!"

He glanced at her, taking another blow of Victor's. It knocked him to his knees. She began to cry. Then, Arkady's battle cry pierced the air.

He had the blade.

He took a swing and slashed Victor's head off cleanly. He fell. Lottie went silent, tears streaming from her eyes. She blinked twice, staring at his body.

"Victor?" the word came out shocked.

She had never hated him, never really had the thought before. All of a sudden, he was going to kill her, and then he was gone. Her head spun, and she found herself limping forward and dropping to her knees beside him and Arkady. She touched Victor's face and trembled. Arkady grasped her other hand. She noticed the depth of his slashes and burst into tears.

A soft thump as someone else fell to her knees nearby. Lottie glanced over to see Nikki, her eyes wide, trembling as she gently lifted Victor's head. Silent tears streaked down her face as she got up and backed away, "He's gone...h-he's...no...?" She didn't seem able to comprehend it, especially not as she went to Arkady, moving almost mechanically to stop his bleeding wounds. Lottie crawled to Victor's body and clung to the detatched head for a moment. Violent shivers ran down her spine as she sobbed in a mixture of relief and despair. Relief; he'd never touch her again. He could never kill her if he was dead. Despair; she'd known under the horrible temperment, he had a beautiful heart. A beautiful heart she herself had never had a real part of.

She felt hands, gently prying his head out of her hands. She wailed and struck, surprised when Nikki ripped her back. She screamed simply because she had to let the emotion out, and clung to her friend, sinking into her arms weakly. Nikki helped her to stand and walk inside, the two soaked and bloody women going to the stairs before they both sat. Nikki held her, tightly, shivering in the air conditioning.

"I don't...know what to think" Lottie gasped between sobs.

She felt Nikki's breath hitch as she answered, "Neither do I."

They sat on the stairs for a long while, holding each other and trembling. Lottie's fingers locked in Nikki's shirt, bringing her as close to her as she could.

Nikki softly brushed her hair back, "We really should go change..."

She laughed and shivered, standing with her, her wet pants sticking to her nearly-healed leg, "Yeah."

They both walked upstairs and seperated ways, going to their rooms. Lottie entered to find the shower already running, so she simply stripped and stepped inside.

Vincent felt her arms around him; her skin was cool. He winced, placing his hands over hers, "What happened baby?"

"Arkady...killed your dad."

He whipped around, and then she noticed for the first time, the bruises he'd hid with her makeup. The pinking scar across his throat; the reason why his voice was a bit softer while he healed. His bones had set and mostly healed, but the scars and bruises and wounds were still healing. She softly touched a set of scars that matched Victor's claws perfectly, right over his heart. Hot water warmed her skin as she softly stroked her fingers over the pink flesh. Tears rolled down his face. She leaned into him and kissed him gently. Their lips locked together in the most tender, warm, comforting kiss either had ever felt. His arms encircled her gently, holding her against him. They nuzzled and exchanged soft, gentle caresses. He looked into her eyes, his amber ones meeting her violet ones, and he whispered, "Thank you...you're the only person I want to touch me right now."

She locked her fingers gently in his hair, "You couldn't pry me away."

They leaned into each other, gazing into each others' eyes for the longest of time. Finally, they budged, both with the intention of cleaning up and going to bed.

She stood in front of the foggy mirror, brushing out her soft, patterned hair when he said, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Just clipped my leg. I was terrified" she murmured.

Vincent looked at his reflection in silence for a long moment before saying, "He tried to kill me more than once. He wanted to beat me until I was like him. I'm not that crazy...thank god."

She set down her brush and nuzzled into his chest; kissing his tender throat, "Shh...I love you. Calm down."

"I know how bad it hurt" he murmured, stroking her hair behind her ear. She looked at him, her eyes showing her confusion. He softly nudged her thigh, his eyes downcast.

Her heart felt like it ripped in two. She grasped him tightly, pulling him against her. She clung to him, burying her face in his throat, "I'm so...so sorry I cried for that bastard...I'm so sorry Vinny baby..."

His fingers softly stroked her hair, "I'd rather it was me than you...even if it hurt like a bitch."

She buried her face into his shoulder, her eyes smarting. She sighed heavily-her heart felt like it was made of slate. His touch, softly up her back, his arms wrapping around her tightly, "I love you, Charlotte Buckley. I can't wait to make you my wife."

His words lifted her heart considerably. She nodded against his skin.

"Vincent?"

"Hm?"

"Will you still be a Creed?"

He pressed his lips to her throat softly, "Only if you want me to be. If you'd like, I'll change my name. I wanna start the Creed legacy over. I'm not my father, I never will be."

She drew back and held his face before kissing him softly, "Nothing you could ever do could make you like him."

**X**


	88. Issue 88

**One Last Move**

After Victor's death, we hadn't gotten out much, so when he wanted to leave I eagerly agreed. I wasn't feeling well-I hadn't for a few days-but my healing factor would fix it eventually.

That wasn't my low point of the night, though.

"Vincent, hey! Vincent Creed!"

I saw Vincent's face light up as we turned, "Hey, Tara!" He lead me across the street, over to where a group of three mutants sat in the park. They definitely looked like our crowd.

There was a white-haired boy, between our ages, with a lip piercing and an eyebrow piercing. He had heavily makeup-done eyes, a studded collar on his neck, and was dressed in skate-boarder-type clothes, down to the blue Shaun White shoes. Two studded bracelets were on one wrist, one on the other. He tossed his hair when he saw us. He looked of Asian decent, but had ice blue eyes.

One girl had violet hair, pale skin, and she was a feral, like us. She had dark eyes and approached us to sit on the fountian next to the white haired boy.

The other girl was blond, small, about sixteen. She looked human. A dark haired girl came over by her with a curly-haired blond. They, together, seemed like the odd people out.

A young, dark haired feral sat on the bench near the humans.

The girl Vincent called Tara looked like me, if I were a Cheetah. I looked her over and she looked me over.

"You've hung out with a Thundercat?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Nice. I didn't know the X-Men were accepting bad snow leopard rip-offs now."

Vincent growled and wrapped me in his arms. His posessive hold soothed my jealousy. "We're engaged, Tara."

Her eyes went wide, "You're younger than me, ain't ya?"

"Everyone's younger than you" the white haired boy spoke up.

"Can it Malice."

Her eyes narrowed as she examined us, "How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"Is this even legal?"

"As long as I love her, the legalities will be taken care of." He rubbed my back tenderly. I kissed him lightly, a kiss that quickly became passionate as he proved to the ferals that I was his territory. A couple low whistles met us as we broke away, along with the cheetah-girl blushing.

"Well, if that's not love, I dunno what is." She smiled at me. "These are Xavier's new recruits. Those girls are Mitchie, Dana and Amanda-Amanda's a weather manipulator with a little bit of a dark side, Dana's a flyer and Mitchie's a phaser, That's Shawnee right there" she pointed to the dark haired feral, "and Sharon over there" the purple haired feral, "and this boy is Malice. He's-"

Malice hopped down, smirking, and strode over to Vincent and I, "The Chershire Cat."

I didn't like the way he looked at Vincent, but I stayed still. Vincent looked at him and put his hand on the other male's chest, backing him up, then released him, "Good kitty."

I repressed the urge to giggle.

Malice smiled, and it had an edge, "I can be a bad kitty too if you'd like."

Tara pushed him back, "Malice is...a bit of a whore."

Vincent laughed and his claws extended against my back. He looked at Malice, "My claws can get to five inches. You don't wanna mess with me or my woman."

Malice hopped back up on the edge of the fountian, "Well I don't have claws, but my seven could put you in heaven."

Vincent laughed, "So I'm bigger than you in every right."

The girls all smiled or giggled, but I traced my claws softly over his abs and purred in his ear, "The best there is at what he does." I softly nipped his ear, "and what you do is so very nice babe."

A few wolf whistles met us while Malice turned red. We all sat around for a bit, getting to know each other. I already established Dana, Sharon, Amanda, Tara and I would be good friends, but the way Shawnee looked at me put me on edge, and the way Malice kept discreetly trying to feel Vincent up pissed me off something royal. We both liked Mitchie; she was quiet and soft-spoken, clearly trying to keep a fight from breaking out.

Once we parted ways, I couldn't handle it anymore. Vincent held me as they walked toward the movie theater, "What d'you wanna do babe?"

"Go home" I murmured.

He gently lifted my face, "What's wrong?"

I kept my breaths even, "I'm gonna be sick."

He nodded and silently lifted me, supporting me as we headed back to the car. He drove, and I held myself together. I felt sick to my stomach. He had only just pulled up when I ran directly to our room. The sickness that threatened to overtake me all day finally came. Vincent joined me after a long moment, holding my hair back for me.

I clung to him as he helped me stand. Quickly, I brushed my teeth and looked at him in the mirror.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rubbing my back.

I shook my head, "I feel sick."

"Maybe you should lay down." I nodded and climbed into bed, feeling him climb in next to me. He stroked my hair softly, lulling me into a near sleep. He was watching MuchMusic when I started into a sitting position, "What did he just say?"

He looked at me, "Today's the twentieth?"

My eyes widened. I wanted to cry. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. Jesus."

I bolted up as he looked at me, "Lottie, what...?" I nearly slammed the bathroom door. I remembered, vividly, last month. The first in seven. I was about to cry, but it was with mixed feelings. Vincent tapped at the door, "Baby? You okay?"

When I didn't answer, he walked in, seeing me leaning on the counter. My eyes were teared. He looked at me and his eyes widened, "You're kidding. Oh holy hell you're kidding." He lit up, his face full of joy, "Really?"

I nodded, "I think so."

He moved closer and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my neck gently, "Baby, this is good...this is so good..." I nodded slowly and looked at him, my hand clamped over my stomach. "I wanna find out for real."

He nodded and nuzzled me closely. His touch was soft, gentle. I wrapped my arms around myself, bringing him closer, "I'm scared."

He nodded, "I know...we'll go tomorrow?"

I nodded, trembling. I went to go lay back down in bed. I was panicking, big time. After the fight, after the fall, I was scared beyond all living belief, but this time it wasn't for myself, it was for the baby.

**X**


	89. Issue 89

**Life To Be**

"Conrad?" Lottie called, looking all over the floor for the twin that had escaped her sight, "Conrad?"

She neared his scent and heard giggles and coos. She opened a sideways cardboard box to find Ronnie and Conrad hidden inside, Ronnie chewing the tail of her lion with her big, happy expression.

"She said 'ohai Lottie!'" Alex said as he sat near them.

Conrad batted his eyes and looked up at her, being picked up. Ronnie crawled out, clinging to Lottie as she was lifted, the lion dangling from her mouth.

"You two, honestly. You'd think you were conspiring to take over the world."

Alex got up to follow, "They are."

Arkady's soft yet booming laugh seemed to fill the house as he lifted Alex, carrying him out into the hall while Lottie held the babies, "Little one, you never cease to amaze me."

Alex grinned, "You're pretty cool too. I can see why mom likes you."

Lottie felt her face burn, "She likes him?"

"Well she doesn't have many friends anymore. She and Arkady stay up late sometimes and drink and talk. She says he's a good listener."

"I would hope" he said. He glanced to her and said, "How are you, Мой белый котенок?"

She blushed, "I'm fine. Thank you Arkady."

"You know, he has nicknames for you...why don't you call him something too?" Alex asked. He was set down by the stairs as Arkady moved to ascend them.

"White Russian" she said suddenly, blushing.

Arkady turned and looked at her, "I like it. I will be back in a moment, white kitten."

Alex turned red as Arkady went off to his room, "He really likes you."

"You really shouldn't read peoples' minds."

"I can't turn it off. And besides, Arkady's thoughts about you are very PG. The love behind them though...it's intense. He always thinks about taking you for walks, and making dinner for you and stuff. It's really sweet, but it's really...icky. Too sweet."

"It's not icky, it's romantic."

"But you love Vinny."

"I know I do. Arkady's been beyond kind to me. He's taken care of me, and he saved my life, your mother's, and Vinny's. Naturally, I care for him as much as I care for Vinny."

Alex sighed and set his head in his hands. After a moment of relaxed cooking, Arkady's hand rested on her back, "Do you want me to take over, kitten?"

Alex got up and walked out, just like she mentally told him to. She looked at him and said, "I want you to come with me and Vincent to the doctor's later."

"Is there something wrong?"

She looked at him and blushed, her face burning. He touched her cheeks, gently tilting her face so their gazes could meet, "Please tell me?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened considerably, "Didn't you just...? How?"

"When you and I...in the garage..." she hid her face for another moment. His hand rested on her stomach as he realized; his tone filled with rage, "and that son of a bitch touched you. He could've-!"

"He might've, that's what I need to find out." She looked at him as he froze. His eyes were wide. He blinked rapidly a few times, his touch gentle, "What do you mean?"

"I'm ninety percent sure I'm pregnant...and that means when the fight happened, I was already a few weeks pregnant..." She had to swallow the lump in her throat. He brought her closer, his eyes wide. He seemed in disbelief, but his voice was soft and strong as he said, "Our child will live. Our child will be strong."

There was nothing tense between Vincent and Arkady while Hank fussed over Lottie. They both had the common goal of keeping the woman they loved safe and happy, and the child inside her. She endured the physical work-up, and when it came time for her pregnancy, she summoned them both to her side. They took turns grasping her free hand and stroking her face, not even the slightest bit of animosity between them.

"Yes Lottie, you are indeed pregnant" Hank said. She broke her gaze away from Arkady to look at the ultrasound, "And the baby?"

"That's the beginning of the heart, right there" Hank said, "and there is the heartbeat."

Arkady and Lottie both seemed entranced as they watched. Arkady's hand rested over her stomach, chuckling softly, "Our baby..."

Lottie nodded, her smile breaking across her face, "Our baby."

"As far as he is, he seems to have no problems whatsoever." The words brought relief to all of them. Lottie leaned back, tears streaking down her face. Arkady's hand softly rubbed her upper stomach, his tension gone.

"You really do not mind?" the more tired Arkady became, the deeper his accent seemed to become. Vincent watched him as he rubbed his eyes and drank another shot of vodka.

"I really don't. You're good to her. I minded with Victor 'cause he took advantage of her. He hurt her. I don't wanna see anyone do that to her. And you know what? If you don't mind me marrying her, I can't possibly mind her going to you when she wants to."

"You make her very happy. Thank you...especially, for not being like your father."

Vincent shook his head, "I would never be like that son of a bitch. I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being. After the things he did to me..."

"You're alive. That is a blessing."

It might've been the alcohol, but he felt like confessing it all to Arkady. He looked at him, taking another drink, "Trying to kill me wasn't all he did."

Arkady looked at him. His eyes were suddenly alert. He waited, listening. When he didn't continue, Arkady looked at him, "What do you mean?"

He rubbed his temples and sighed, "Do you know how I was conceived? When Sabretooth took over...he raped my mother. I guess, that makes Sabretooth my father and not Victor. That kills me. Victor...he never tried t' hurt me."

"I'm sorry" Arkady said.

"D' you know what Victor did, a couple months ago?"

He shook his head.

"I was ambushed by a couple of experiments...killed one, but the other...raped me. Victor killed it, ripped it limb from fucking limb. When he came back, he apologized for not being able to spare me that."

Arkady connected the pieces and cursed in Russian, but let him continue. He let him take his time, knowing that if he said it, he would get closure.

"Before I got home that day...Sabretooth did the same to me." Arkady got up as he watched him wipe the small tears away at first, then bury his face in his hands as it became too much. He wrapped an arm around him, sitting directly beside him, "What he has done was unacceptable. If I could kill him over and over again, I would do it. Your mother could forgive him; she gave him a real burial. I would've ripped the bastard apart and fed him to stray dogs. I cannot forgive what he's done to my white kitten, or your mother, or you."

Vincent nodded and looked at him, "Thank you..."

For a while, the two simply sat. They had no more words, but they didn't want to retire just yet and break the peace that had settled between them.

Alex crept into Lottie's room and looked at her sleeping form. He tilted his head and sighed, "Sorry kid...I didn't know you were coming. You had nothing to say to me, I guess." He pulled Lottie's blanket back, mentally lulling her deeper into her sleep. He put his hands on her stomach, the color seeming to drain from them for a moment, "I know it's scary in there. It's really not much better out here. But at least you're okay, right?" He rubbed gentle circles into her skin, hearing her sleepy groan as the child inside her advanced a little. He smiled. "I know. She's already thinking of names. D'you like Arkadi? I know, it's my favorite too." When he sensed her discomfort and Arkadi's fear at going further, he pulled away. After a few moments, both mother and child calmed. Lottie unconsciously rested her hand over the bump of her belly.

Alex smiled, leaning in and whispering into her ear, "Arkadi wants to be born now."

**X**


	90. Issue 90

**Alexander The Great**

_1_

"Holy hell!" Lottie's scream woke me from my sleep. I got up quickly and ran over to her, "What?"

"Look at this!" Her eyes were wide.

I turned my head. I didn't want to say anything. Her stomach was bigger.

"Vincent, I was not this big last night!"

I blinked, still sleepy-eyed. Then I noticed. She looked...four months in? Not quite round, but not flat either. I stared, "What in all hell...?"

"Arkady!" she shouted, nearly running out of the room.

By the time I dragged my sleepy self into his room after her, he was sitting up in his bed, fully awake, rubbing her stomach softly. He grinned, "What have you been eating little one?" I almost rolled my eyes, but smiled. It _was_ pretty cute..."Lottie, this is going to be a boy. He grows like weeds..." Arkady muffled a yawn and grinned at her, leaning in and kissing her stomach. She purred in delight as he nuzzled her. I rolled my eyes that time, walking off.

I turned into my room and started, seeing Alex standing next to the bed, "Fuck Alex! You scared me to death! Can you at least yell to me in your mind or something?"

"Sorry...where's Lottie?"

I looked at him, "With Arkady. Get your own girlfriend."

Lottie looked at Arkady as he showered tender kisses over the bump that her stomach had become. He smiled and lay her down beside him, turning on his side to brush his fingers over her skin tenderly, "Oh kitten..."

"White Russian" she purred with a giggle. He cradled her close, his fingertips stroking over her skin. He leaned into her and kissed her tenderly, "Kitten...do you believe this?"

"I was thinking of names, actually..." She blushed, "Do you like Arkadi? It's just like yours, but with an I instead of a Y. Arkadi Luka Rossovich."

His eyes lit up, but he laughed softly, "He will have your name."

"The least I can do is give him yours. Arkady...I do love you, even if I didn't accept your proposal. I have no intention of letting our baby live without you as his father."

Arkady smiled a bit and rubbed her stomach softly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"There you are" Nikki's voice was soft, happy. The exact opposite of his mood. She came up beside him and sat, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I killed her."

Her gentle hold tightened, "Yeah, you did...but you weren't yourself."

"I killed a lot of people when I wasn't myself" he said. He brought her closer, "I could've killed you."

"You didn't, that's what matters" she whispered, nuzzling him.

"I would've, if you'd stayed with me. Just like they planned."

"You underestimate yourself, and me. I love you Logan. There's very little love can't do."

He kissed her softly, holding her close as they sat on the small dock, "I love you too."

Alex had been watching us all morning, and it was beyond a little creepy after the first hour. Finally, I slammed my hand down on the table, barely phasing Lottie and Arkady, but startling Alex. He looked at me as I shouted both physically and mentally, "What the hell is your problem?"

He blushed, "Sorry...I'm just zoning out."

Mentally, I said to him, 'Sure you are.'

He looked at me and blushed, 'I really am. I'm sorry.' He showed me an image of a TV show he'd been watching, and I shook my head. I looked at Lottie and Arkady, and gave him a look that told him I didn't feel right about this. Typically, it was beyond me to suspect a little kid of anything...but looking at the way Alex looked at her, I didn't doubt that he was up to something.

But something, what?


	91. Issue 91

_2_

Days passed. Things were getting...strange. Then, the third night, I had Lottie sleep in Arkady's room, with him. and I waited.

I was drifting around three AM when Alex slipped into my room. He seemed to notice, instantly, that Lottie wasn't there. I sat up, "What the hell are you doing?"

He gulped, "T-trying to help..."

"Really?"

I got up and stalked toward him. He cringed, "Vinny...come on. Hey, I didn't do anything!"

"Sure you didn't" I said, cornering him, "What did you do to her and the baby?"

He looked at me and gulped, "I just sped it along is all...cause it betters her chances, you know? I don't want her to miscarry...and if he grows, and he gets big enough, he can't be...he's almost there. C'mon Vincent, will you trust me?"

I could've punched him, but he was kind of an angel child. Despite all he knew, he still had innocence about him. He had good intentions. I sighed and got down to my knees, "How do you do that?"

"Do you want me to show you?"

I drew back, "No. Not...no. Just..." I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, "Is this hurting either of them?"

"It shouldn't. It might be a bit of a shock to Lottie's body, but it's compensating..."

My eyes widened. I grasped him by his arms, making him look at me, "Is it hurting her? Tell me seriously."

He went pale and said quietly, "I can't say...it shouldn't."

"Humor me. What if it did?"

"I don't know. I've never done it before."

I got up and ran to Arkady's room. They weren't in bed, so I knew. I went into his bathroom, seeing her clutching her stomach, nearly in tears as she clung to the countertop. I went to her, wrapping my arms around her. She buried herself between Arkady and I.

"It hurts...so bad..."

"If you'll trust me, I can make him come now."

We all turned to Alex. I growled at him, "No. We're not risking this baby's life for you."

"Risking his life?" Lottie gasped, "What the hell...what have you done?" Her hands protectively enveloped her stomach, turning into Arkady. Alex's eyes widened. I didn't have to be a telepath to know she would kill him if she got any angrier, "Alex, _what have you done?"_

He looked at her as she doubled over, and ran forward, "Lottie, please trust me. I can get the pain to stop. I mean it...please trust me."

She looked at him, desperately, and growled, "I don't care if you're some kind of messiah...if you hurt my baby, I will kill you."

He nodded and went to her side. His hands rested on her stomach as she looked to Arkady. He held her comfortingly tight, like I did. She clung to his arms.

The color drained from his hands as he pressed them to her stomach. She whimpered. Arkady pulled his shirt up gently-what she slept in-and let her brace herself. He looked at her. I growled softly. He spoke deliberately soft, "He's gonna come out now. He's big."

I knew when she had a contraction. She gasped and clung to Arkady with one hand, and me with the other. I rubbed her arm and softly placed my hand where Alex's had been on her stomach. She whimpered, "M-My water didn't break..."

"Sorry. You really didn't have time for any of that."

Alex's words made Arkady make the human aproximation of a growl. Lottie whimpered. I wish I knew what was going on in her mind. Alex mentally linked us, and I gazed into her eyes.

_It hurts_ she thought to me, _It hurts too much to cry. I need your help baby..._ I grasped her hand and nodded. I held her legs and looked into her eyes, "Push."

She hissed as she did. Arkady grasped her arms tightly, keeping her in place.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" Alex murmured. He put his hand on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered. "Thank you Alex...that's so much better than pain medication..." She looked at me and smiled as she pushed. She was tense, but calm. The pain seemed to have subsided enough. Arkady held her and I coaxed her gently, and after not long, the baby's cry filled the room. She seemed to deflate, dropping into Arkady's arms. The baby was beautiful, with soft blond hair and Lottie's violet eyes. I stood up and took care of washing him. His hair was soft and pretty, the same blond as Arkady, with darker blond leopard spots. I grinned and laughed. "Lottie, he takes after you."

They both looked at each other and Lottie opened her arms for him. I knelt beside them and passed Arkadi off to his mother.

Alex looked at me and turned his head, "You're not angry?"

"He's fine, she's fine...no I'm not. Just never do it again."

He nodded slowly and smiled as Lottie clung to her baby boy. "Arkadi...Arkadi Luka Buckley-Rossovich."

"You insist on my name" Arkady said.

She nodded, tearing up, "I do."

Alex suddenly started, "Stay here, all of you."

Naturally, as Arkady and Lottie obeyed, I didn't. I followed Alex. He ran toward the stairs and said, "Vincent, get mom and dad."

"What's going on?"

"It's gonna get bad."

Like an omen, the lightbulb that was closest to the window, slowly flickered and burned out.


	92. Issue 92

_3_

No sooner had I turned when the door busted open. If I'd been scared to death once in my life, it was nothing compared to this. I would've rather had been face to face with Sabretooth again than this.

The fucking _son of Satan_ was standing in my doorway.

I didn't get scared often, but I was about to wet myself. Alex seemed to pale until he became irridencent. His hands glowed, and he began to glow. The darkness was building around Blackheart when Alex spun in a martial arts pivot-like something out of The Last Airbender-and slammed a force of pure white light into him. First off, I shouldn't have been surprised since Alex did it once, but he'd changed again. He looked like he was about seventeen, and though he was scrawny, he looked strong enough.

Black wings unfurled from his back.

It was morning when I opened my eyes. I bolted upright and looked around, scared as I'd ever been. I took off out of my room, down the stairs.

Alex was the exact same. The scrawny, teenage boy build from last night; the shaggy black hair.

"How the hell do you do that?"

He smiled and looked at me, "Do you wanna know?"

I nodded. He moved to stand in front of me, and his color drained. I started when he put his hands on my arms, "Back or forward?"

"Forward. Eight years...you can turn me back, right?"

He nodded. My head spun rather unpleasantly, but I held on. The feeling faded, and Alex collapsed into my chest, trembling like a baby bird. His wings were out again.

"Alex" I whispered to him, "Breath."

He blinked and nodded, "Never...used my powers that much..."

"I think you're Omega level" I said, genuinely impressed. I couldn't help but look myself over. My sleep clothes that had been baggy five minutes ago were ready to rip. I flexed and grinned at my biceps, "Aw yeah. That's what I've been working for."

Alex smiled and closed his eyes weakly, "Vincent...help me back to bed?"

He extended his arm and I laughed. I scooped him up over my shoulder like a sack of flour, and he squeaked like Tayla, "Hey! That's not what I meant!"

"It's what I can do though!"

I set him down, making him laugh, and nearly came face to face with our mother. She looked between us, blinking. Her eyes teared. I rushed forward, holding her close, "Mom, please don't cry...c'mon please..."

Two single tears streaked down either side of her face, "V-Vincent?"

I wiped them away and nodded. She suddenly looked really small and really fragile. She trembled and put her hand over mine, "Alex, did you...?"

"Sorry."

Her tears began to flow steadily and I yanked her into a hug; a deep, crushing one. I purred tenderly, stroking her hair, letting her know if she needed to be treated like a cub, I could do it too. She nodded and purred back, hugging back.

"You look just like him...but your eyes are so much...more innocent."

I smiled and lowered my face to hers, "Mom...I'm nothing like him."

She nodded, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear, "I know. You're a mother's boy too, though."

I held in a laugh, "Dad was a Mama's boy?"

She grinned and nodded. Logan walked out, took one look at me, then Alex and said, "Stop doin' that."

Alex turned red and shuffled off to bed, his wings folded against his back. Mom seemed to notice them for the first time, her eyes widening, "He has wings."

Logan took her arm, "Let it go."

"But, how-?"

"Baby, it's better if you let it go."

She blinked and looked at me, "How?"

I shrugged, "Ask him. He's all kinds of freak that we're not."

Her eyes narrowed, "Be nice to your little brother."

I rolled my eyes, "Mom, I'm _legal_ now, I don't really have to do anything you say."

"You're still in my house, and I still cook your food."

"Or don't cook it."

"The food still comes through my kitchen. Wanna bet I won't take your steak?"

"...yes mother."

**X**


	93. Issue 93

**Lips Of An Angel**

I jumped when strong arms wrapped around my waist. I looked at Vincent in shock. He was _much bigger_ than the last time I'd seen him the night before...

He stroked his thumb over my lower lip, "Hey beautiful."

I shivered in his arms, blushing lightly. Arkadi cooed and was tenderly caressed by Vincent's strong hand. He purred softly and nipped the subtle point on the tip of my ear. I gasped. Arkadi stared at us and giggled, sticking his clawed thumb in his mouth.

"Wanna leave him with Arkady for a while?"

He slipped his tongue against my ear, drawing a soft whimper from me. I nodded. He nipped my ear softly and released me. I heard his soft chuckle as I scurried off to Arkady with the baby.

"Lottie?" Kyle asked.

"Where's Arkady?"

"Dunno...you okay?"

I was blushing, and he seemed to piece together the pieces. He held out his arms, "Go. I'm gonna go hang out with Ronnie an' them in the living room."

"Thank you Kyle" I whispered and nearly ran back after passing off Arkadi, being met with a laugh and a shake of the head.

No sooner had I walked in the door then I was met with a forceful yet tender kiss. Vincent cornered me against the wall, his hands softly drifting across my skin. I felt him pop a button off my shirt. Then another. Another. One more, and the last. Softly, he slid the fabric off my shoulders and pushed my skirt from my hips. He drew back, his gaze smoldering and beautiful. He'd already stripped; and his muscles were beautiful. He was always beautiful, he was just...

Our lips collided in a passion-filled kiss. He kissed like a dream, no matter what age he'd become. He held me against his chest, a passionate purr escaping him. He nuzzled me softly, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Lemme take you out to dinner tonight. Please?"

I smiled and whispered in his ear, "Seven. and don't forget."

About two hours later, I was rummaging around in my closet when the door opened and shut.

I glanced up. Daken was grinning like the Chershire cat, which was never a good sign.

"Who did you kill?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes, "You're my sister-to-be, and don't even own designer. Close your eyes, fairy step-brother has the perfect gift for you."

I sighed and grudgingly closed my eyes. He took my arms, lifted them, and something draped across them.

I gasped as I opened my eyes.

Metallic ivory silk in an ankle length gown covered my arms. He grasped me and pulled me to my mirror and held it up. The halter strap around the throat was a thin silver chain, and thin silver chains created a corset-style pattern across the bodice. From hip to ankle, there was a slit down the silk. I blinked back tears; it was the ultimate punk Cinderella gown.

"Who is this? Vera?"

"Skingraft, special order. You can say Johnny Cotta owed me."

"Owed you?"

"I gave him a nice night between ladies."

"Naturally." I wiped my eyes. He took my chin and said, "Will you trust me to help you out tonight?"

"Just getting done. The rest I can handle."

He nodded, grinning. Once I changed, he proceeded to partially curl my hair, letting it fall with gentle curves in places, do my makeup so it matched my feral color and my dress, and also select the silver ballet flats for me to wear.

"Sometimes I think being completely gay was the best thing I've ever let happen to me." He said as he gently swiped the last of my eyeliner under my eyes.

I smiled, "You're really happy with Lester, aren't you?"

"The happiest. I never thought I'd say it...but I like not having to be in control. Even if we take turns."

I blushed a little, "So he's the usual dom?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, love." He blushed a bit himself, "I love the man. I trust him at my back." He shuddered lightly, "He makes me feel things nobody else has ever made me feel."

"Does being married mean anything? I mean...after two failed marriages...does the third time really seem like the charm? Or does marriage really ruin it?"

He shrugged and smiled, "Ten years and with the exception of Nikki and Victor's brief little fling, she and Logan have been going strong. Claudine and Rachel...I don't think I ever wanted them as more than friends, and I just didn't realize it." His cheeks pinked considerably, "When I kissed him again...and he took control...and he gave me his permission to touch him...those things he never let me do. We're meant to be, I feel it. Every time I kiss him...I feel fireworks. Like I'm living the perfect fantasy, you know?"

It was my turn to blush, "I do know. I feel that way with him."

"What about Arkady?"

I looked at him, "Can I confide in you?"

He nodded.

"I'm in love with him too...but being with him doesn't do the things being with Vincent does to me. When I'm with him...he's everything, and everything is right in the world. I need nothing."

Again, I nodded. "I know all too well."

For the first time, I'd ever seen Daken go red and bite his lip. He looked at me, and his eyes glittered, "and the only time I really feel whole...is in that moment just after we've made love...and we're still kissing and I just feel him so close...and I feel everything."

I smiled, "It makes me want to cry. Such completion...such...satisfaction."

"It feels like the only reason we make love at all."

I blushed, "Well I wouldn't say that exactly..."

He laughed and capped my eyeliner, placing it in my hand, "You two are gonna be together forever."

I beamed, "I hope so."

He beamed back, "You are."

"You look beautiful, like always" Vincent said softly.

I blushed, "Thank you."

He took my hand across the table and kissed the ring, "Thank _you._ You've made me the happiest man on earth."

We got stares, but tonight I enjoyed them. He softly traced his fingers over a spot on my arm, among all of them. He smiled and lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my fingertips, then my palm, then my pulse on my wrist.

"I love you."

"And I love you."

For the hell of it, it seemed, he said, "Marry me."

"I can't wait to."

Our hands locked on the table, and all we could simply do was stare into each others' eyes and smile...just for a while. By the time we left, the moon was high, the stars were glittering and the candles had burned down. We walked in the park, back toward the car, his arms around me.

"Charlotte" he whispered, turning me to him. He gently held my face in his hands, and whispered with all the passion I'd ever felt in him, "I love you."

My hands closed over his, my gaze meeting his, and I whispered with the same passion, "I love you."

In the sweet moonshine, we kissed. We kissed like we'd never have to let each other go-because we never would.

**X**


	94. Issue 94

**Our Little World**

_1_

**_Sixteen Years Later_**

Ronnie's eyes were closed, despite the thudding bass pounding in her ears. She hated being here at Nation X; she wanted to go home.

Emily walked up and sat beside her, "You okay Aunty Ronnie?"

The six year old daughter of Vincent and Lottie was incredibly beautiful; with soft white hair and golden leopard spots. Her eyes were like Lottie's, but her smile, her skin tone, and her demeanor spoke of Vincent. Tristan, her twin brother, was more like Lottie; though his hair was blond like Vincent's and his leopard spots were lighter. He had followed closely and sat on Ronnie's other side. He slipped his arm through Ronnie's and looked up at her, "Aunty?"

Finally, she melted under the combined violet gazes of the twins, "Yes, you two?"

"Can we have some food?" Tristan asked.

"We're hungry" Emily seconded.

She rose and brought the twins with her, "Alright. Let's go."

They clung to her as she lead them into the building and down to the kitchen; where the music matched her headphones. Vicky was perched on the countertop, eating strawberries out of Kyle's hand. Conrad was cooking, and Arkadi and Slade were nowhere in sight.

"Oh god, there are two of us missing" Ronnie said as the twins beelined for Conrad, "Who's dying?"

"Slade's in the danger room with Logan, but I heard Arkadi was looking for you."

She blushed, "He was?"

"He is" a voice said from the doorway as the young feral leaned on the door, "You alright beautiful?"

She blushed under his gaze, "I'm fine."

Following Arkadi's entrance was Conrad's lifelong crush, the once-again-single Northstar. Ronnie agreed, approved, and when he brushed against Conrad's back, she saw him stiffen and mutter an apology. He laughed and his hand pressed to Conrad's back, telling him it was alright.

"It's so cute" Tayla whispered, leaning over the counter, chewing an apple.

"Cute for you, you're crushing on my dad. You have problems, Howlett." Arkadi grinned playfully, drawing a light pink blush to Ronnie's face.

"Back off Buckley."

"The weirdest thing of all" Slade shouted as he walked in, stopping almost all conversation, "Is that her brother is married to his mom, and his half brothers and sisters, aka Con, Vicky and yours truly, have the same father as her and said brother. The web of lies this family has wove is unbelievable!"

Kai, the twins' twelve year old brother, climbed up on the counter next to Ronnie, watching Slade. He leaned into her side, and she rubbed his head, "Slade, you're gonna give Kai a headache."

He closed his eyes and began to purr as he nuzzled her hand. He loved her, Vicky and Lottie...boys, not so much, and Tayla was his least favorite woman.

The Creed family had grown considerably.

The Howletts, on the other hand...had not. Alex had never so much as had a girlfriend, just a snake. A snake he'd managed to keep alive for sixteen years. Tayla lusted after Arkady, which had brought some oddities between the sisters, but the straw that had broken the camel's back with the family, was Nikki's death. There had been one last war; one last surge against mutant kind, and Nikki had given her life for her people. In fact, a lot of mutants had. Logan had gotten permanently scarred, but clearly, the only reason he kept going was because she'd made him promise he would. Humans and mutants finally lived in peace...though, as of her death, no feral wanted to make nice with their human prey.

Conrad allowed Vicky to take over as most of the Creeds slipped out into the courtyard. Conrad took one look at Tayla's expression and had to hug her.

The courtyard had been repainted after the war, and the image they saw, every time they even walked by, was the stain-glass patterned image of a red-haired angel.

They paused in the door, watching. Logan sat in front of the painting, clearly brokenhearted. Tayla gasped, fear stricken, as she saw the glint of metal, "Dad, what the hell are you doing?" She broke free of Conrad's hold and ran toward him. His claws sat out in the open, blood coming from them. They hadn't been used in a decade. She seemed to relax when she knew he had no intention of hurting himself. She sunk down next to him, grasping his hands, "Daddy?"

He looked at her and retracted his claws. He put an arm around her, "Sorry Tay...just...remembering."

She nodded. Not even she could wholly keep it together. "It's been two years."

He nodded, looking at the painting, "Feels like yesterday I heard her whisper I Do."

Tayla bit her lip and leaned into her father's shoulder, "Come on Daddy, let's go inside." She helped him stand, his limp noticeable. The scar across his face extended from his hairline to his cheekbone, over his left eye. The last cut he took for her; the effort he put forth to save her life, all being in vain. He gritted his teeth and released her, "Relax darlin, I'm fine."

"Daddy, you haven't been fine. Please let me help."

He shrugged it off and moved past them. Ronnie clung to Arkadi's hands and whispered, "I'm suddenly not hungry."

He nodded and brought her away from the courtyard, to walk along the beach, leaving the others behind. The water touched her sandal-covered feet and she let herself sink into it. She sighed heavily and slipped into his arms, "I wanna go home."

He nodded, "I do too."

"Why did they do this to us?" she looked at him, "a hundred year old mansion couldn't have withstood that, and they knew it. They tried to kill us all."

Arkadi's touch was soothing, "and you know your mother would've died a thousand deaths to save you and your family. She got you out of there and she did what she had to do."

She lead him further away from the building, "Alex is developing something. He's going to send his consiousness back in time, back before this. He's going to fix this, and there won't be a war. Do you know how our lives will change?"

Arkadi kissed her softly, "Not much."

"Exactly" she grinned and kissed him back, "Nothing will change, and yet everything will. I just wanna tell you...that if we wake up tomorrow, and don't remember any of this...that I love you."

He smiled, slipping his arms around her, "You've always loved me."

"More truth."

"We're about to have it fixed, Arka. I can feel it. There's something beautiful in the air."

He laughed and kissed her, "Good. I'm glad. Let's celebrate."

Alex grinned and placed the headset on, sitting crosslegged in his chair. He glanced over to Rocky and said, "If I'm right-which I should be-we're about to have a great life Rock-Man. I promise I'll make up for all those rats, okay?"

The snake scented the air and Alex closed his eyes.


	95. Issue 95

_2_

Slade hauled himself out of bed and yawned. He dragged himself down the stairs and into the kitchen, plopping before a plate of bacon and eggs and digging in.

"Slade, words?"

"Thanks grams."

He was promptly smacked upside his head, "Don't call me that."

He opened his eyes and grinned at his ever-youthful red haired step-grandmother, "Thank you Nikki."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. Her cell vibrated on the counter, and she grabbed it.

"Your brother's coming."

He looked up, "You're kidding."

"No. He's coming. He says he's on the driveway now." She shoved her phone in her pocket and left Slade sitting there as she went outside to greet him.

Conrad pulled up in his Honda. He idled a minute before shutting off the car and climbing out. Nikki rushed over to him and he nearly collapsed in her arms, holding onto her and sobbing.

"Baby boy, what happened?"

"I had to leave him..." Conrad sniffed, wiping his eyes, "I just can't take it anymore. He really hurt me this morning, and then he expected me to go to work...I called in and had to come...I can't stay there."

Nikki helped him inside, noticing his limp. He sunk into the big chair and curled up, his eyes red and clearly, he'd been crying most of the night. Nikki sat beside him, "Your mom isn't home yet."

He nodded and looked at her, "I wanna go back and get my stuff. I can't live with him. I'd move in here before I'd stay, and you know how crazy this family is."

"Start slow baby; I thought you and Luke patched this up."

He shook his head, "We did at first...I don't know what went wrong. Yesterday, he just started again..." Nikki rubbed his back, climbing in the chair with him. He curled into her, clinging to her, "I know you guys taught me to be tough...but he said a lot of things. I'm scared of him...even though I love him."

Nikki held him to her like he was a baby, his face tucked into her neck.

"You're polite and smart and sweet...even if you don't make it with him, there's always other men. Better men."

"Is that dick giving you trouble again, baby brother?" Slade asked, walking out. When he saw the state Conrad was in, he balled his fists, "I'll kick the son of a bitch's ass and let you watch, if you want."

Conrad shook his head. When Nikki touched his back, he whimpered quietly.

"That's it, KAI!" Slade roared, "Get down here!" He turned to Conrad, "Where does the bastard work? I'll kill him."

"Please don't..." Conrad said.

"I may think you're a royal fucking fairy king, but you're my brother. Now tell me where the son of a bitch is or I will get his scent and track him down and I promise I won't go easy on him."

"Slade, stop it!" Conrad shouted, fresh tears coming to his eyes, "Please stop it! I don't want anybody getting hurt!"

"The only one that's going to get hurt is him."

When Kai appeared on the stairs, his white hair sleep ruffled and his face in a gentle yawn, Slade turned to him and shouted, "Get dressed. We're going hunting."

At the mention of a hunt, the boy lit up, "Hell yeah!" he took off back up the stairs and into his room, awakened by the prospect of killing.

Nikki looked at Slade, "Normally I wouldn't condone this..."

"But kill him slowly?" Slade asked.

She smiled, "That's our boy."

When Slade went upstairs, Ronnie looked at him, "You're taking our twelve year old brother to kill someone."

"Our? When did you get adopted?"

"You know what I mean." She stood up off the wall and looked at him, "Take your pills, Slade. If your voices tell you to hurt Kai, I will kill you. If you lose control, and I find out you hurt Kai in one of your blackouts, I will kill you. and if Kai comes to me telling me you fucked some hooker in front of him-"

"You'll kill me. I get it. Hollow threats, sis."

She bristled, "You don't call me that."

"It's true. We share the same father. Oh the resentment, from Daddy's little girl. You cuddled up to Daddy so much, you slept on his chest, you were just the perfect little angel."

She cracked him across the face with her closed fist. He actually stumbled, "And one-lung takes me out! Son of a..."

She pinned him against the wall, growling, "Do you know what Lottie sees when she looks at that little boy? Everything she could've had. He loves her. He may be twisted, but that's your fault too. You used to get him to beat up kids. If he turns out an assassin, I'm throwing you under the bus for it. Do not let any harm come to him."

"I've been mental since I was five, Ronnie. He won't see any action, I just want him to come as backup."

She growled softly and pushed him away, walking off to Arkadi's room. Kai popped out and looked at Slade, "Ready?"

He nodded. They went back downstairs, seeing Conrad and Nikki had left the room, and Slade went out to Conrad's car. He pulled open the door and sniffed around for the scent other than his brother's. He growled, "The bastard's hurt him in here too. I smell blood."

"What're we gonna do?" Kai asked, "I mean, besides kill him."

The young feral's watch read twelve thirty in the afternoon. Slade grinned, "Remember how Con told us Luke usually dropped in for lunch?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, we're gonna go wait for him instead."

"Yeah. I hope he likes knuckle sandwitches."

Slade quirked an eyebrow and ruffled his brother's hair, "You're really something."

"Where's Conrad?" Luke asked.

"He called in sick today" the bank receptionist said.

"Thank you" Luke said, but inwardly, he was enraged. He told Conrad to go to work; he expected that of him.

A hand pressed to his chest, "You wouldn't be Luke, would ya?"

He growled and looked at him, "Conrad?"

"The evil twin." He was met with a punch to the face. He was going to retaliate when his knee was kicked out. He shouted and fell. Conrad's look-a-like punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Several hard hits later, Luke lay on the ground and a heavy, booted foot was placed on his chest, "Slade Creed. Remember the name. And if I find out you so much as looked at my brother the wrong way ever again, I will hunt you down, and I will rip you limb from fucking limb. I will tear you apart, stick you in the back of a car and leave you by the highway, and the possums will get to you before the cops will. Do you understand?"

He looked up and met the burning, rage-filled eyes above him. He nodded as he passed out.

"What was I even here for again?" Kai asked.

"You kicked out his knee, that was good enough. Let's go."


	96. Issue 96

_**Quick A/N- Somewhere Only We Know (the Darren Criss/Glee version) was playing in my head for the last part, so if you'd like the same mental image I had, go ahead and play it. And the kind of kiss there...look up the Kurt/Blaine one. ^^**_

_3_

She wasn't used to it, if she had to be honest. The feeling of relaxation that rain had never brought her, she suddenly had, all because of Arkadi. He hitched her leg over his as he continued kissing her, his hair falling over her face, caressing her cheek like his hands caressed her body. She bit his lip playfully as he tugged on her shirt. He moaned softly, "Ronnie..."

She purred, looking at him, "Yes, lover?"

He shook his head and touched his nose to hers, "How do you feel?"

"Honestly, great." He smiled and rubbed her back, "Good."

She heard shrieking laughter and stood up, looking out the window. Vicky and Kyle were running around in the rain. They were playing tag. The rain picked up, and despite the downpour, where rain slicked their hair and ran off their faces like tears, they shouted and laughed and then, she let him take her in his arms. Arkadi wrapped his arm around Ronnie's waist as they leaned out the window and watched.

Vicky whispered something to Kyle, making his eyes widen. Arkadi jerked upright, "Did she just say-?"

Kyle clutched her close, kissing her, then shouting, "She's pregnant! I'm gonna be a father! I'm 'bout t' be a Daddy! Oh my god!" He spun her and held her close, then they both looked up at their evesdroppers. Arkadi grinned and gave them a thumbs up. They leaned out the window and laughed, grinning. Arkadi drew back and looked at her, smiling, "If I ever go back to Russia...maybe to serve my country...will you come with me?"

She grinned and hopped on her bed, "You wouldn't have to ask. You couldn't get me to stay." She pulled him closer and kissed him, "I love you. You're not going anywhere without me."

"Good" he almost purred, pulling her against his chest, "I want you by my side through everything."

"Right where I'll be."

Conrad was actually a little scared. He glanced around the infirmary; Nikki was away with Doctor McCoy. Then, he felt a touch on his back, soft, like fingertips. He whipped around and came face to face with Jean-Paul, his face burning as he realized he'd nearly sprung.

"I'm sorry I startled you" he said softly, "Hank told me you were here. Are you alright?"

He nodded and smiled a bit, "Yeah, I'm gonna be fine."

Jean-Paul's hand softly covered his, and he watched the way Jean-Paul slipped his fingers through his, "Conrad, I can't believe he did that to you..."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"I'd hope it would."

His heart did a little flip in his chest. He blushed lightly, "What does that mean?" He was half tempted to blurt out that he'd had a crush on the man since he was young.

"It means you're a sweet guy Conrad. You're not bad looking either." His lips quirked, "Unfortunately, you still have two years to go."

"No I don't. Slade and I are emancipated."

His eyebrows rose, "Why?"

"Because...Slade's a ladies' man, and he can't be stopped anyway...and I thought I loved Luke, and he's twenty two..."

Jean Paul looked into Conrad's eyes, "Conrad, that was a comment. I don't want you to take it the wrong way. I'm sorry."

His face fell, "It's okay. I didn't really expect you to...mean it." He swallowed the lump in his throat. He remembered when Northstar and Kyle split. He'd had nothing but hope since. He heard Jean-Paul sigh before his face was gently lifted. He stared at him, surprised, before their lips gently pressed together. Conrad melted, slipping his hand to hold Jean-Paul's face for a moment, kissing him with all the intensity of his feelings. He let the older man part his lips with his tongue and sucked his tongue gently. He moaned into the kiss and held him close.

Gently, he drew back, whispering, "Conrad...do you have any idea what you're doing?"

He blinked, looking at him. Tears gathered in his eyes. He whispered back, "You're the kind of guy I've always wanted...please, just let me have this."

Jean-Paul wiped away a stray, falling tear as he cupped Conrad's face in return, and he kissed him tenderly again.


	97. Issue 97

_4_

Alex looked at the faces of his family, gathered around the table. He was rather pleased it had turned out so well.

"I want you guys to know...that once upon a time, this was never an option."

"What d'you mean?" Nikki asked.

"When I came to this form for the first time, I received a dream of myself, from the future. A dream of a reality that I didn't want to let happen. I got one instruction that kept it from happening; kill Ronny Stryker."

Vincent tensed at the end of the table. Lottie's hands closed over his, which were balled into fists.

Alex continued, "If Stryker had lived, Mom would be dead right now."

Logan growled and held her hand. She rubbed his arm as it protectively wrapped around her.

"Dad, you would've been badly injured in the war that killed Mom. You ended up with a scar across your face, and two and a half years after she died, you broke your promise to her and killed yourself with the blade. A year after that, the X-Men reformed X-Force, and Lottie and Vincent joined. Lottie and Vincent were both killed in the same fight. Conrad" at the mention of his name, he sunk in his chair, "You never wound up with Jean Paul. Slade did beat Luke up, but you two stayed together. You never left him. It wasn't pretty. The majority of us ended up dying in horrible, violent ways. But Vicky and Kyle's daughter and I continued on, and we made it." He smiled, "We have a son, in the distant future. The very distant future. She helped me to live. To keep going until I could reach myself and show myself the future that didn't need to happen. Shortly after I killed him, that future was erased from the time stream, and replaced with us. The course of our lives have changed drastically. You're welcome."

The entire table was silent.

"So you're not gonna read my fortune?" Slade asked.

"You end up with a girl named Hope."

"Not that redhead?"

"I don't know. I never found out much."

"Why are you telling us?" Ronnie whispered.

"Because. I also have to show my past self, so he knows that this does have a happy ending" he quirked a smile, "We live. We make peace. We live in peace. I needed to show him the joys of our lives, the future ahead of him. The beautiful kids and the wonderful life that we keep, as long as he kills Stryker's heir."

A few of them nodded, and Nikki smiled, "Good. Show him." She stood and went to him, hugging him, "Because I'm proud of this family, and I'm proud of you."

When Nikki stepped into the kitchen, she saw Alex at the sink, scrubbing blood off his hands.

"Alex? Baby, what happened?"

He smiled and let her wrap her arms around him. He nuzzled her and whispered, "I love you Mom."

"I love you too, are you okay?"

He grinned and kissed her cheek, "I am, and so are you. I promise Mom, I'll tell you one day."

She nodded softly and murmured, "Breakfast?"

"I'll do it. You'll be making enough bacon and eggs when Slade gets older."

**X**


	98. Issue 98

**True Colors**

_1_

"White Kitten?"

Arkady's voice brought her from her thoughts. She grinned and looked at him, "Hi White Russian."

He took her hand and pulled her into a tight, warm hug. She laughed and nuzzled his neck, "What's up baby?"

"Can we take a walk?" he murmured against her head. He felt every gentle curve of her body; every part of her that he'd worshipped in his love for her. Already, his heart was breaking, but still he felt her smile, "Okay."

He waited until they'd made it to the end of the pier. He took both of her hands in his and sighed heavily, looking into her violet eyes, "Lottie...I have to leave."

Her eyes widened, "What? Why?"

"The X-Men have called upon me...and because of my debts to them, I owe them...I must go."

She looked at him, her eyes searching, "But you'll come back, right?"

"No." The single word seemed to crush her, "The X-Men have every intention of recruiting me. But I will call you, and we will talk, and you may visit..."

She bit her lip and looked down. He gently lifted her chin and held her face, "Please...don't lament over me." He lowered his lips to hers gently, her lips softly pressing to hers. Tears streaked down her delicate pale face. He kissed her fiercely, pulling her against his body. He kissed her until he felt her lips bruising under the force of his kisses, until he tasted his blood when he caught his tongue against her sharp canine. He would never have admitted it to anyone but her, but his tears mingled with hers and he clung to her. He caressed her body as if he would never see her again, and kissed her like her kiss was air.

When they heard jet engines, her tears flowed more heavily. He wiped both of their faces as the plane landed. He lead her back to the house. She lingered, not wanting to see him leave his room, his son, or get his bags. When he returned, his bag slung over his shoulder, she looked at him.

"I'll walk you to the jet?"

He nodded and held her hand as they walked. A few feet away, he turned to her. He kissed her once more, soft and tender, with no desperation whatsoever. He nudged his nose to her and whispered, "I love you."

She nodded and sniffed, but couldn't speak. Her eyes said it all. Logan had followed after him, but she barely noticed. She ran back and directly into Nikki's arms. The comfort didn't go unnoticed; she clung to her shirt, her arms wrapped entirely around her. It took Lottie a few moments to realize she was crying on Nikki's bare skin. She sniffed and wiped her reddened eyes, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Her hands softly rubbed her back, earning a content purr after a few minutes. "You know everyone loves you as much as Arkady does."

She sniffed, "Not in the way he did though."

"Really?"

She turned red, "It's not like I don't love Vincent...because I do. With all my heart. But...I don't know. It just feels..."

She was silenced with an abrupt kiss. It was just as tender as the ones she'd felt before, but a little more expert. She pulled away, surprised. There was a look of mischief in Nikki's eyes, "And what about now?"

Lottie gulped and nodded, "Yeah. I think so."

With a playful laugh, Nikki went back inside. There was something about the way she was sashaying her hips that made it impossible to not follow. Lottie couldn't believe it as she looked at the bottle of wine cracked on the table in the living room. Nikki put her feet up and smiled, lifting the glass to her lips, "Well? Come sit." She took a sip and smiled, "Vincent and Kyle took the kids out for a while, I figured you and I could talk."

She nodded and went to sit beside her. She was poured a glass of wine and smiled as they relaxed. The TV was off, and the only sound was the tick of the clock up in the study on the next floor.

"So, talk to me" Nikki said, "How's life?"

Lottie smiled widely, "Great."

"Even with all that's gone on?" The tension didn't need to be spoken; it was there. Arkady being forced to leave, Victor's death, and all of the drama in between. There was blessed quiet. She answered after a few more sips, "Yeah. Because I love him."

"I'm glad."

They shared the bottle and then some, and by the time they were partially through the second, they were a lot more relaxed and a little intoxicated.

Lottie leaned on her and smiled, "You're my best friend."

Nikki nudged her softly, "You too."

Lottie's cheeks flamed red, "That kiss earlier...if we ever did that again..."

"It's totally cool. After a while of guys, you get bored...and then the experementing starts."

Lottie blushed, "Experementing?"

Nikki purred softly, "There's a helluva lot to do nowdays...so much more than before." Her eyes glittered playfully as she said, "You know, Vic was my first bondage?"

Lottie's face flamed, "Wow."

"We got into everything. He was shocked I was so sexually innocent." She purred softly and squirmed a bit, "God we've always been perfect together. Just like me and Logan."

"Are you going to miss him?"

"Of course. I loved the man. I still do. The thing is...both of us have our real mates."

Lottie seemed to contemplate as she took a sip, then asked quietly, "Do you think what Vincent and I have is still...innocent?"

She quirked a smile, "Honey, I know what you two have is innocent. You two are still young. Get closer to me and Logan's age, and everything will have been done at least once."

"Really?"

Her face was flaming. Nikki laughed softly, "Really."

"Do you...have a favorite?"

Her smile was rather sweet, "When he makes love to me, plain and simple. We rarely ever had time to, in the beginning. When we got married...we actually had a nice weekend away. We had time to ourselves. That was really the first time we'd done more than mating."

"Marriage doesn't ruin it, does it? I mean...you and Logan are so happy..."

Nikki's smile made her whole face light up, "Being married to him is no different than being in love with him, that's how I know he's meant for me. Every day is the same, and I fall more and more in love with him."

"Like me and Vinny."

She looked at her and beamed, and wrapped her arms around Lottie in the tightest, warmest, closest hug she'd ever felt. Lottie buried her face into Nikki's hair, inhaling her scent, and with a sudden boldness, kissed her again.

When she drew away, Nikki was beaming. They both giggled.

"Wow" Lottie murmured.

"Yup." Nikki's grin carried until she picked up the phone. Lottie purred as she curled up on the couch.

"What do you mean?" her tone was tense. She sat up, "No I wanna talk to him." She stood. "Then yes, it does warrant me going out there! Don't you-Scott! You...dammit! You son of a bitch!" She screamed and hung up. She grabbed her keys off the table and Lottie stood, "What happened?"

"Stay here...call Vince and tell him to come home."

"Why?" She already had her phone in hand.

"Logan's hurt. I need to go." and she ran out with the quinjet keys in her hand.


	99. Issue 99

_2_

"You actually _dare_ to make light of this?" Nikki's voice rose an octave at Scott as Arkady held her back from castrating him. He tried to talk her out of her rage, but with her healing factor taking its time getting rid of the alcohol, she wasn't having any of it.

"Calm down-" Arkady began.

She shoved him and he actually budged, "Calm down? _Calm down?_ If that were Lottie in there you wouldn't be so fucking calm, now would you comrade?"

"Nikki, he's healing well!"

"He was _ambushed_ you stupid son of a bitch! Why can't you ever take a hit?" With those words, she leapt at him, and before he had time to back up, her claws were out, and Arkady's coils wrapped around her. He dragged her back against his chest, locking her in his hold. She struggled and looked at him as he softly stroked her hair, "Sleep. You will think rationally when you wake."

She scoffed, trying to resist his power, even though her eyes grew heavy quickly.

The moment her eyes opened, she knew she was in Arkady's room. It had the same feeling as the room that Arkady had lived in at their home; covered in rich reds and golds. For a moment, the sight comforted her, until she remembered why she was there. She sat straight up, looking around.

"Logan was released from the infirmary an hour ago" Arkady said from where he sat in a chair, looking at her, "He just left not ten minutes ago to get some food."

She slipped out of his bed and looked at him.

He stood, "I'm sorry."

"I want you to come back with us."

He looked at her, "I am a wanted man. I must fulfill my duty here...until I've proven myself able to return."

"We can leave."

"I can't. Please understand..."

Nikki approached him and touched his face, "You're above this, Arkady. We can take care of it."

"You have never said this before..." The look in her eyes was very familiar, yet very foreign; as if he'd seen it in another lifetime.

"I have, once a long time ago."

She drew back and turned on her heel to leave. He watched, intrigued. "Oh and Arka? Should you ever want to join us, you know where we'll be."

He nodded, knowing she knew his affirmation, and watched her leave.

She nearly head-on collided with Logan halfway down the stairs. He caught her and smiled, "I'm alright."

She slipped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. His eyes widened before he kissed back. She eagerly welcomed his tongue slipping into her mouth. Instinct took over as her body pressed to his. He slammed her into the wall, possibly a little too forcefully, but her legs wrapped around his waist. He braced her hips and bit her lip; drawing blood. She moaned into his mouth.

"What happened?" he growled, pinning her to the wall.

"Who hurt you?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"I never do."

He grinned at her and let her down. She smirked and fixed her top. They stared each other down until he caved, "Some dumb asses called The Red Right Hand."

She turned and said softly, "I am who I am baby. They're just gonna have to deal with my ways."

"And just where do you think you're going?" Lottie asked, stepping out of the kitchen as the black-clad figure stepped off the stairs. The ice cream spoon felt stuck to her tongue as she noticed the black catsuit was Nikki, not Kyle.

"I got something to handle. You'll take care of them, right?"

"That's...not your costume..."

"I'm not going out with heroic intentions."

Lottie paused a few steps closer, and Nikki took in her appearance. She was wearing Hello Kitty pajamas, and eating the small carton of cookie dough ice cream. She noticed the intensity of her gaze and whispered, "You don't have to do this." At a loss for words, she choked out a movie quote, "It won't bring you peace."

Nikki scoffed and replied with the same, "Peace was never an option." She slid the black duster over her leathers and swept out into the night.

**X**


	100. Issue 100

**Quod Sum Eris**

I left myself at home, I suppose. The Red Right Hand are people who've apparently been causing some shit in our lives for years; the wanna-be Romulus types.

Little do they know, his successor is going to end them. One by one. Freddy Krueger style. And they can't do anything to stop me.

I know about these people. They all hate Logan. The one bitch even killed Victor's mother. She'll be the first to go; and she's just lucky I don't carry a hammer.

I climbed in the vent, and I waited. I waited until they'd separated, and then I followed her.

There is evil in my blood. Strong, passionate evil. Yes, I have become what he was. Slowly, I succumbed to it. I made peace with my animal, only to become a monster. At times I hate myself...this was not one of those times.

I grasped her silently and grinned. I knew what she saw; the claws, the sharpened canines-everything my Victor was, everything my Vincent could be. I made sure they heard, so they could converge.

From the crowd, I picked them out, one at a time, until _he_ was left.

He ran, like the spineless little coward he was, and I let him get his head start. It was thrilling; the clicking of my boot heels against the wood floor; the intoxicating smell of blood on the air...it's what I am.

He was backed into a corner, praying quietly. I snarled and picked him up, "Not even He can help you now. You've pissed off the wrong force."

"W-What?"

He had the nerve-? "Me."

His screams on the air gave me pure euphoria. My head swirled, and I felt like I was falling onto a plush, black pillow. It was warm, hotter than summer. And then, I felt the embrace. The trail of sharp-nailed hands across my arms.

"Victor?" I gasped and whirled into his arms. He grinned down at me and kissed me, pulling me against his bare chest.

"Babe...this has gotta be some kind 'a tease." His hands stroked my hair, and despite the heat, I cried. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him again. His eyes held so much pain, so much regret. Someone appeared behind Victor, and this time, I was actually afraid.

"Nikki Howlett...can we talk?"

I clung to Victor and buried my face in his chest. I wanted to un-see what I'd seen. One thing my father had engrained into my mind; never answer the Devil.

"I suppose not." Victor's arms tightened around me, and he stroked his lips softly over my face, "Get the hell outta here babe, you don't belong here."

I clung to him, "Neither do you."

"Come now Victor...she does." A hand rested on my back and I shied against my former lover's body. It felt like it went straight through my clothes and seeped into my skin. Victor growled and pulled me away with a strength I didn't think he would've shown anyone but me. "Touch her again, and I'll fucking kill you."

Victor roared in pain, his claws digging into his palms as he fell away from me. I turned on my heel, glaring at the figure behind me, "Stop!"

He did, surprisingly. Fear pounded my heart in my chest; proof I was still alive. It was enough to hold my hysteria at bay for the moment.

"You've spent almost a century and a quarter on the planet...it seems as if I don't need to ask as it is."

"Don't beat around the damn bush, get to it so I can get home."

"Your soul means a lot to you, doesn't it? How much do you value the souls of others?"

I turned away. I didn't want to hear, I didn't want to see. "Yours for your families'. They will all be redeemed...even your son."

That was it. I roared and slashed his chest deeply with my claws. It physically hurt him, and he staggered back. There was obvious fear in his eyes at me.

"What are you?"

"Crossbreed. I am Crossbreed." Power was coursing through my veins; more power than I'd felt since Alex had been born. All the souls he had; all the ones he controlled, I could see them, like stars in front of my face. They lead me to an orb, like Jareth's crystal. I slammed my weight into it and let it fall, and like fireflies escaping a jar, they scattered. He roared. Red hot pain flashed through my body, and I fell. The deepest slashes I ever felt were on my torso. They burned. Blood covered my hands. I looked up, but there was still strength in me; there was still a power to me I had no idea I had. Victor went to my side and I put my hand on his arm, "Let's go."

"How?" he said quietly.

The other kept his distance. I heard demons scuttling in the shadows. I felt the presence of people I hated; people who hated me. I grasped Victor's arm and whispered, "Escape. For me." He looked over and murmured, "What about you?"

"I have no idea. Just go while you can."

He nodded and left my side.

I was tired when I woke up. I stretched on the plane and blinked, rubbing my eyes. A hand rested on my shoulder, from the guy that was sitting behind me in first class; apparently he'd come up next to me, "You okay? You were dead asleep."

I smiled, "Had business. Didn't get much rest til then."

He nodded, "Sorry."

"Nah, it's alright" I said, sitting up, "What about you?"

"I'm hoping I can get some work in Toronto. My name is Dante Santiago" he produced a business card. I heard the thick Brazilian tone in his voice, and after a quick once over, I smiled and took it.

"A male model?"

He nodded.

"Do you have any management experience? Bookkeeping?"

"No, but I'm a fast learner, and I know computers."

This man was heaven sent. I grinned, "I have the perfect job for you."

**X**


	101. Issue 101

**Lesser Evils**

_1_

Dante Santiago gazed around the study like he was in heaven. The study was a former bedroom on the second floor, with a terrace at its back, overlooking the rest of the grounds. The beautiful, ancient desk spoke volumes about the power the family had always held, the power it would always hold.

From the get go, he let the pretty lady tell him how it would be.

She paced the room a few times, like a sideshow lion in a cage. He watched observantly, not sitting. She went to pull out the desk chair, "You like it?"

"Yes ma'am, it's beautiful. May I ask how old the house is?"

"Almost a good century and a half."

He exhaled, his hands trembling as they touched the flat surface of the desk. She turned to him and her eyes sparkled dangerously, "You're a mutant, aren't you Dante?"

He jumped and gulped. The very mention of the word struck fear into him. He nodded, slowly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of" she said, walking toward him. Her eyes softened considerably, "So are we. We do dangerous work, and I do...second guess asking this of you-"

"Work is work" he said suddenly, his gaze intense, "I can handle it. I'm a low level empath and telepath. I'm sorry I can't do more."

"That's fine. I want to keep you out of the line of fire anyway."

He watched her closely as she paced the room, "What...will I be doing, if I can ask?"

"Tracking dangerous men, things like that. But, you have another job too."

He nodded, waiting for further instruction.

"I want you to be my best friend's personal assistant."

He sighed with relief, "Alright. I can handle that."

She grinned knowingly, and it scared him. She lead him up the stairs and into the other section of the third floor, and he looked...mortified.

Lottie's arm was wrapped, showing she'd gotten tattoos done across her skin, and her shirt was partially off, allowing Dante to see the creamy skin that was being tattooed with a literal heart on her breast. He glanced away.

Lottie turned red, "Oh, I'm sorry...I didn't know we had guests."

"Dante, this is Lottie. Lottie, Dante Santiago. He's your new assistant."

"Y' mean like Birdy?" Vincent asked, examining the bandage over his lower abdomen.

Nikki crossed her arms, "And yours was?"

"Her name. Of course."

Lottie turned red, and Vincent laughed, "I made sure she didn't get a tramp stamp of mine."

"No, his is in the heart" she said, glancing to Nikki at last.

"And your arm?"

"You'll see."

"Hold still" Kyle muttered. He was giving them the inks with a special needle forged from the muramasa blade. Nikki sighed and walked out, allowing Dante to be as he was.

He sat down on the piano bench and observed them with intrigue.

Nikki walked down the stairs and slipped into the nursery, picking Ronnie up out of her cradle to hold. For some reason, tears fell from the corners of her eyes. She softly rubbed her fragile infant daughter's back and sang quietly, the song that always calmed them both. Her voice tenderly caressed the practiced words, needing their comfort as much as Ronnie seemed to.

"_Come stop your crying it'll be alright_

_Just take my hand, and hold it tight_

_I will protect you from all around you_

_I will be here don't you cry_

_For one so small, you seem so strong_

_My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm_

_This bond between us, can't be broken_

_I'm gonna be here don't you cry_

_You'll be in my heart_

_You'll be in my heart _

_From this day on, now and forever more._

_You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say._

_You'll be right here in my heart, always."_

By the end of her words, she was crying. She sunk into the rocking chair with her daughter in her arms and wept silently, holding her tightly and rubbing her back.

Ronnie's soft touch eventually lulled her tired mother into curling up with her, clinging to the baby girl, and admitting to herself the truth; she was not an evil person. She didn't have an evil bone in her body. Vengeful, yes. In need of anger management, definitely, but evil? It had skipped her generation. She clung to the baby as if it would make up for all the wrong she'd done in her life, all the regret she felt.

"I thought I might find you here" Lottie's voice was soft, "You were crying more than I was when Kyle started with the tattoos. It got kind of obvious."

She moved next to the chair and wrapped her arm tightly around her friend's neck, "I think you need a vacation babe."

"I think we both do."

"To where, exactly?"

The words were voiced before she fully thought them through, "The Underground. I wanna go see my sister."


	102. Issue 102

_2_

Lottie's first order of business was to drag Dante with them on their little vacation.

The moment Nikki stepped outside with her bag, the beautiful brunette tackled her to the ground. Nikki hit the grass with a breathless laugh, clinging to her sister, "Elie!"

"Nikki!" she crushed her in a hug, until Jareth lifted her off and helped her up. He pecked her cheek and murmured elegantly into her ear, "She's been going insane waiting to see you."

"Oh my god, Freddie and Jareth have been _longing _for you too! Come on, let's go!"

Nikki laughed, shook her head, and showed Lottie and Dante toward the Doctor Who-like portal Jareth had created to bring them to the Underground.

The first thing that entered Dante's mind, was they were in a castle. A genuine castle. A castle surrounded by a labyrinth.

"Holy mother of god" he murmured.

Elie grinned, "I know, right? That's everybody's first reaction."

Two young children flew down the stairs and slammed into Nikki, hitting her hard enough to drop her to the stone. The little girl yelled, "Grab her and don't let her go!"

Nikki laughed and sat up, "Fred! Jay! My two little goblin babies!"

Lifting both of the small ones, Nikki said, "Lott, this is Freddie and Jareth Junior. Goblins, this is Lottie."

"That's a weird name" Freddie said.

Lottie laughed, "I've never met a girl named Freddie before."

"I was named after Freddie Mercury."

Dante lit up, "I'd hoped so!"

The look on Elie's face was one of pure and simple euphoria, "You, records, now!"

Around the dinner table that night, the strangest things came up. There was no drama, just inane stories.

"-And Vic was totally like 'Tony Stark's givin' me head' and I leaned over and was like 'he has on Iron Man underpants' and he was _so pissed!_" Nikki said, making Lottie giggle.

"I can't believe you did that" she said.

"I can" Jareth said, "You haven't known Nikki as long as we have. She's quite the prankster. We once had a whole war on April Fool's day."

Her mood seemed to decline, "I have news for you guys, too."

Elie sighed, "Bad news can wait until later. Let's just have fun tonight, okay? Just the lot of us. There's going to be a goblin party in town tonight, wanna go?"

"...Goblin party?" Dante looked _terrified_.

Lottie laughed, "Like Norman Osborn Goblin, or like Spiderwick goblins?"

"Spiderwick goblins" Jareth said.

Lottie's eyes widened and she shouted, "AWSOME! Let's go!"


	103. Issue 103

_3_

Elie and Jareth made a show of looking regal-although, it was a playful show-while Dante, Nikki and Lottie dressed in summer clothes and lead the twins in.

Instantly, a goblin clung to Nikki's leg, "Pretty lady remember Cob? Cob play video games on Xbox!"

Nikki laughed and scooped the dirty little goblin up, holding him at arm's length, but still warm despite her obvious distaste of the mud on the small creature, "Of course I remember you Cob! You also terrorized my living room many times."

Cob had the grace to blush as she set him down. There was music, and goblins were dancing, and it seemed like the party was in full swing.

Dante glanced around until he felt the soft touch of manicured claws on his shoulder, "Are you having fun yet?"

He turned to Lottie and blushed lightly, "Not quite...does this happen often?"

"No" she laughed, "Of course not! Come on, dance with me."

He noticed the engagement ring on her finger and asked, "Why didn't your fiancee join us?"

She pulled him out to the center of the goblin village's square and placed his hands where she wanted them, leading their dance, "Because Vincent and I need our space every so often...and without...others around, we get a lot of time together. I don't mind, of course, I love him unconditionally. I just...don't feel like I deserve his love sometimes."

"You do" he said quietly, "I'm not sure how ranking works with you, and you may not value my opinion at all, but from what I've seen of you, I know you deserve his love."

Lottie blushed brightly, "Thank you."

The goblins moved aside, and Lottie heard Elie giggling. Nikki was absolutely burning with blush, a scowl on her face, and Jareth leading her to the center to dance beside Lottie and Dante.

Lottie laughed and slipped her arms around Dante's neck possessively, "Not much for royalty Nikki?"

She glanced at her and it became a glare, "Laugh it up you two. I lose a metric ton of my reputation every time he spins me."

"Embarrassed of your brother in law? It really has been too long." Though the goblins didn't notice, Lottie did. Jareth's words were soft, but his touch suddenly became intimate. Nikki flamed bright pink and glanced at the ground between their feet.

_So they have history?_ Lottie thought, _This has suddenly become the most awkward dance of my life._

Pulling Dante aside, she allowed the party to go on. They walked a distance back toward the castle and into the garden.

"Oh my..." there were two moons visible in the sky; one a glowing violet, the color of Lottie's eyes, the other am iridescent white.

"The purple one is a moon of Jupiter...but why would it be here? This is...an alternate realm or something, isn't it?" Dante asked.

"Hell if I know" Lottie murmured and crossed to the fountain, where she sat.

Dante moved to stand nearby, and his eyes widened. Flowers, all around them, began to bloom. Quietly, he murmured, "Juliet is the sun."

"What?" Lottie tore her gaze away from the suddenly blooming flowers to look at Dante.

He shook his head, as if to clear it, "Nothing. It's just...they must think you're the sun."

She sighed and stood, "Look, Dante, you're a sweet guy, but I'm not looking for a distraction."

He laughed.

It was slightly offensive; her violet eyes narrowed and her hands shifted to her hips, "What's so funny?"

"Lottie, I have no interest in you that way. Or any other woman, for that matter."

"What's wrong with us? You think just because you look human, you're special?"

"No, I don't mean it like that-"

"Then what?"

He shifted under her piercing gaze, looking away. A pond that resembled a thin swimming pool, edged with copper, began to glow within. He stood and walked along it, softly touching the flowers as he went. He stopped near one exotic pink one, and knew Lottie had followed, though her anger was much less tangible.

"I'm sorry" she said after a long moment.

"It's alright. It was just hard the first time around...you'd think that would make it easier."

She sat down in the grass and slipped off her shoes. He looked at her, in her ivory dress as she dipped her feet in the pond. She laughed and glanced back to him, "Look."

He walked over and knelt down, looking into the pond. The unexpected source of the glowing swam around below them; a school of fish, glowing hues of blues and greens.

"They're beautiful."

She didn't push him, for which he was grateful. After a long moment, he said, "I sort of let a double whammy out on my family before I moved away."

"Being a mutant is nothing to be ashamed of" she murmured.

"They were conservative Christians, surprisingly. Being a mutant was enough to be burned at the stake in my town...they're the kinda people that would still do it too. Being gay...that was the icing on the cake for my family. They knew if anyone else found out, they'd be exiled, so I left. Plain and simple. The younger generations always take off if they want to disown their families...it's commonplace. So now, I have nothing there. I can't go back. Don't want to, either."

Lottie rubbed his arm and pulled him into a tight embrace. He kissed her cheek lightly and murmured, "I have yet to see a woman I'm actually _attracted_ to, and yet...many men."

Lottie laughed and blushed, "I don't know the feeling."

He glanced at her curiously.

"I'll explain someday."

He nodded. They watched the fish for a long while before Dante saw the little girl named Freddie coming up to them. She lay down and rested her head on Lottie's lap, dozing off.

For a while, they sat and watched the fish. The flowers returned to their closed positions. The two toned moons made a beautiful pattern in the sky.

Lottie had begun to doze when Dante nudged her, "Look. An eclipse."

There was cheering. Lottie nudged Freddie off and ran back toward the party. Dante scooped up the sleeping girl and followed.

The goblins were cheering and Nikki stood next to Elie. Jareth was shouting something in a language no one knew, except the goblins.

"What's he saying?" Lottie said to the other two females.

"No idea" Nikki murmured, watching with curious interest.

Elie's son sat on her lap, and Dante passed her daughter back into her arms. Jareth raised his small scepter into the air and cheered, along with the goblins.

Nikki looked on blankly and shouted, "God save the Queen!"

Lottie burst into laughter and hugged her, "I'll make a Brit out of you yet."

When they returned, Dante was exhausted, and a lot more Creed inclined. and then, he _really_ met Lottie's fiancee.

In the time they'd been gone, Alex had changed Vincent back...part of the way. Dante spent a moment looking him over, and smiled when he saw the tattoo wrapping around his upper bicep-a beautiful, intricate spelling of _Charlotte._

He simply smiled and went indoors, letting the soon-to-be couple reunite on their own.

**X**


	104. Issue 104

**Corazon Sin Cara**

Dante Santiago had been the most beautiful and well-behaved of boys in town for his entire life for two reasons: he had impeccable self control, and he was very good at keeping his desires, thoughts and feelings inside.

Just not around Antonio.

Antonio Mendoza had been Dante's life-counterpart. Where Dante was weak, Antonio was strong, and vice versa. He had anger management problems, and he and his family lived on the edge of town. They were poor people, and Antonio was intimidating enough to keep them out of the pity party of the town, just not from Dante's caring eyes. It was with Antonio that his mutation had surfaced.

The two boys lay in the straw that covered the floor in the small barn that served as the Mendoza family's shed. Antonio chewed on a piece lazily, glancing over to Dante.

"How come I've never seen you with a girl?"

Dante's eyes widened, and his face pinked. He was sixteen, young and beautiful, and when he whimpered quietly, no words coming out, Antonio sighed and wrapped an arm around the innocent boy. He plucked the hay from his mouth and tossed it onto the floor. He trailed his thumb against the curve of his friend's lower lip.

"Sing something for me" he said and rolled over onto his back.

Dante sat up and curled into the boy's side, singing quietly, gentle words in Spanish about a love unrequited, and the star crossed lovers fled their oppression to be together. The meaning wasn't missed.

Softly, Antonio stroked his hand through Dante's hair and kissed him passionately, cutting off his angelic voice. They tumbled into the pile of hay together, clothes pulled on, skin flaming. Antonio gasped when he felt Dante's tongue against his lips, and he drew back.

The boy below him had a forked tongue. His eyes had changed. Their dark chocolate brown had become topaz yellow. His skin had become scaled, though it was still soft and smooth, and seemed to hold an orange tint. His upper canines were elongated into fangs. Antonio blinked. Dante looked at himself and began to panic. He looked to his would-be lover, and seeing the panic in his dark eyes, Antonio grasped him firmly, pulling him close and devouring his mouth once more. His hands were pinned against his side, and despite the sultry taste of cinnamon gum and hay on Antonio's breath, the feeling of their bodies pressed together became suddenly uncomfortable.

He groaned, "T-Tony...getting hot..."

He drew back gently, still holding his hips, "You're a mutant. Dios. And it looks like it went the full nine yards for you too."

Dante blushed deeply and blinked tears out of his eyes, "I'm sorry..."

Antonio rolled his eyes, "Oh hush. You're beautiful."

Dante's eyes widened, "I am?"

"Of course you are. I've been attracted to you since we played football together Dante, you've always been beautiful to me."

Dante blinked, "But...but at church...you said-"

"I said a lot of things, I've never made good on any of them. Look at me Dante, and tell me honestly that God wouldn't put two men together; make them _so attracted_ to one another and then test them, with their families statuses, the presence of the church and the X gene, and still be able to say how deeply this feeling runs, if it wasn't right? They're wrong, my little cobra...they've always been."

"Tony..." Dante turned a shade of red he'd never gotten before. He blinked quickly and started to slump.

"Dios!" Antonio gasped and pulled at Dante's clothes, "Stop being so damned shy! You'll kill yourself! Apparently you're cold-blooded, _corazon,_ you could kill yourself that way!"

Dante continued to blush as Antonio stripped him bare. He had no protests. He watched his lover's eyes soften and a small smile touch his lips, "_Eres perfecto."_

Dante blushed brightly, beginning to pant. The heat in his body was getting to overwhelming, "Thank you..."

Antonio grinned and rolled his eyes, "I suppose I'll just have to get rid of your heat for you. Should I call you King Cobra now?"

Dante shook his head and felt the tender kisses being pressed to his chest. His lover watched his eyes flash closed, his hips bucking gently as he arched. He ran a hand over his chest, "Beautiful boy..."

Dante gasped; the kissing and touching quickly lead to more. Antonio had no experience, and yet, Dante had never felt more ecstasy in his life. The feeling of his lover's sweat on his skin cooled his body after their passionate lovemaking. He looked into his lover's deep, gentle, near-black eyes and murmured, "Are you a mutant too?"

His skin colored slightly with light blush, "Yes. I'm an empath, my love. And it seems like you just may be too."

Dante blinked, "How?"

"Telepathy and empathy are closely linked" Antonio drew him into a warm, tender embrace, their bodies remaining locked together, "When I heard your moans in my ears, I heard them in my mind. I felt your pleasure as you felt mine. Your worries, your anticipation...you project very well."

Dante blushed as a soft kiss was pressed to his temple, "Thank you?"

"You're very welcome."

x

"Monster! _Diablo!_" His father struck him in the face with his belt. Dante cried out and covered himself from the blows as best he could. He was cornered against the door, "Stop! It's me, Dante, I swear!"

"You are not my son! What have you done with him?" The words, loudly shouted, hurt Dante's ears. Hot tears streamed down his face. He bolted and made it halfway up the stairs before his leg was caught from under him, sending him to the floor. He was thrown on his back and pinned. He tried to shield his face, one blow striking him hard enough to give him a black eye. He whimpered and struggled, panic setting in. He pushed him back and screamed, "_Get off me!_ _Papi, please! _I _am_ Dante! I swear by God, I am!"

It was enough to stop the hits long enough for him to struggle free and run to his room, bolting the door behind him. His whole body trembled as he sunk against the door. He had very few options now; he couldn't stay. His liaison with Antonio would get him exiled from the church if anyone ever found out, but he could be already, simply for who he was.

He called Antonio.

When his window was forced open, he remained where he was. Tony climbed in and ran to his side, "Dante, corazon, speak to me."

Dante looked at him, his bruised eye swelling shut, his body shaking gently. Tony's eyes smarted, "Oh corazon..."

"It hurts" Dante sobbed, "M-My father tried to kill me... He called me the devil."

Antonio's eyes hardened, "We're leaving. Tonight."

"Tonight? Tony, we have nowhere to go! We have no money!"

Tony moved away and started to pack his things, "Your father is a cruel, cheap, _rich_ man. You wonder why you have as little as me, when you have such a bigger house, such a higher status? You were lucky once...you still are. You have no idea how I wish to be as beautiful as you."

"You look normal" Dante whispered, "Your father did not beat you."

"My father is a proud man. He would not care. He would not tell."

With Dante's bag slung over his shoulder, he returned to his side, "Come now corazon, it's time to leave the nest."

x

Sunlight warmed his skin pleasantly as he curled against Antonio's chest. He blinked and glanced to his lover's face. Antonio looked beautiful as his chest rose and fell, his plush lips parted and his warm, cinnamon scented breath fanning over his face.

They had been in Miami for four years after escaping on a cargo plane. After Antonio had applied, they had been accepted for citizenship in America that first year. Antonio was finally making money, and finally at peace, cooking in a Cuban restaurant while Dante played house husband between jobs, trying to be a model.

That afternoon, Antonio burst in with joy etched in his every movement, "Corazon, I've done it!"

"Done what?" Dante asked, putting the television on pause as his lover climbed onto the couch beside him. The joy was infectious; he kissed back with the fierceness which he was kissed. He moaned softly under the warm touch. Once he'd pulled back, a breathless chuckle bursting from his lips, "What, exactly, was done?"

"I've got a place of my own now."

"Ay Dios mio! Tony, that's incredible!"

They embraced tightly, nearly falling off the couch, "There is one problem..."

"What?" His topaz eyes sparkled with glee.

"We have to move to Canada. I will take the truck and pack up, but I want you to go ahead and find us a place to stay."

He nodded, smiling, "And you'll follow? Closely?"

He kissed him softly, "Of course corazon, you know I would never let you down."

x

Dante felt it was too early in the morning to bother with his contacts and makeup; no one would be awake at five am anyway. He was still wet from his shower, wrapped tightly in his linen robe as he went to get the door. He yawned, his fangs exposed for the first time in the house.

He pulled open the door and squeaked, "Antonio!"

"Good morning corazon!" he laughed and wrapped Dante up in his arms, embracing him tightly. Their covered truck was sitting in the driveway of the estate. As Dante was set on the floor, he shut the door and was met with a deep, loving kiss that made his knees buckle. He moaned softly, feeling Antonio's tongue trace his lips and flick against his fangs. He melted; his arms slipping around his neck, his body pressing entirely against his lover's.

"I love the house, corazon. You sure your employer won't mind?"

Dante had no time to speak as Lottie's voice rang through the house, "Nah, me and Nikki love guys. Especially hot ones like yourselves. Oh, Dante?"

He winced, expecting the worst.

"Stop with the contacts and shit. You look gorgeous as you are. I was hoping you'd slip up eventually."

"You knew?" His eyes widened in shock as he spoke.

She rolled her eyes, "You have scales, I'm a feral, I saw the makeup. Honey, you're blessed. Show it off."

And with that, the two lovers were left to move in on their own as Lottie trotted off outside for an early morning run with her fiancee.

**X**


	105. Issue 105

**Venomous**

_1_

Dante brushed out his long, slick black hair. Antonio was laughing as he jumped on the bed, "This place is incredible!"

"You act like we're seven years old again." A wry smile pulled at his lips as a light blush colored his cheeks. The tips of his fangs became exposed, and he watched as Antonio dropped to the bed with a heavy sigh. He watched him, his nearly-black eyes studying his lover.

"Your relaxation feels so nice...so calm...It's beautiful."

Dante looked to him and placed his brush down, going over to the bed and slipping in beside his lover, "You know...we can get married here..."

Antonio smiled and slipped his arms around him, pulling him close. Dante's eyes fluttered as his fingers traced his exposed throat gently. He almost whined at the feeling of the tender caress.

"When I have money, you and I will talk about it again."

Dante nodded and turned to kiss Antonio's jaw softly, "I missed you."

"And I, you. Now tell me...you just met this woman on a plane? And she takes you to a different realm and...hires you to wait on her best friend slash daughter in law?"

"Sounds about right."

Antonio brushed his fingers over Dante's face, sighing heavily. Dante looked to him, feeling the pain radiating from the very center of his soul. "Tony...talk to me."

"Mami contacted me."

"I know you miss her."

"Your father...sold you into marrying this girl, just before you left. She expects you there, and you're here..."

Dante laughed and slipped his arms around his lover's back, "I'm not going back there. They really can't force us. We're American citizens...we can apply here too. Dual citizenship, you know?"

"Don't you have to have family somewhere for that to work?"

"We do have family now."

"We do?"

When Dante nodded, he sighed, "And these people...they're your family?"

"I think...that was their every intent."

x

Lottie screamed as Vincent tackled her. They rolled down the hill together, laughing and shouting. She landed on top of him, a grunt falling from him, "Damn. Knee in the gut and I'm still breathing."

She giggled and kissed him, "Sorry baby."

He watched her sit back on his legs, her soft violet eyes closing as she turned her face to the sun and took a deep breath.

"It's a beautiful day." She slipped off and lay in the grass at his side. His arm slipped entirely around her, cradling her to his side. She smiled and murmured, "Can't wait to make an honest woman of me, huh?"

"Well, you're honest already. But to put the other ring on your finger..." He stroked her hand softly.

She grinned and looked up at him, "You know I'm making you wear fur, right?"

He grinned, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	106. Issue 106

_2_

"Excuse me?"

Antonio turned to see the petite young woman standing behind him at the postal office. He stepped aside, "Go ahead."

"Oh no, I didn't mean that...but thank you." She placed a letter on the counter and left, with Antonio following suit.

"You are Antonio Mendoza." He jumped, hearing the girl's voice beside the door.

"I'm sorry...I don't remember meeting you. Yes, I am."

"Anita Rosales, we grew up in the same town" she extended a hand that he shook lightly. He jumped and yanked his hand back, feeling a deep slash across his palm. She looked surprised and concerned, "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"It's alright..." the way his heart pounded felt unnatural; he took the two steps down and walked away from the building without a goodbye. He slipped the bandana out of his pocket and wrapped it around his bleeding hand, climbing back into the car and driving away. He blinked, his eyes becoming heavy as he turned off onto the long drive up to the house. His skin prickled with chills. He stopped the car a few feet from the door and climbed out, clinging to the keys.

"Tony?" he vaguely heard a voice say as he dropped to the stairs. Cool, soft hands touched his face, his name repeated time and time again. His eyes met Dante's, seeing the panic reflected in his eyes that he felt on the edge of his mind, just before his eyes closed.

"Tony!" Dante shouted, "Wake up, dammit wake up, please! Tony! _Tony!_"

"What happened?"

Dante glanced up, his eyes starting to tear; Vincent knelt beside them and took Antonio's wrist. Quietly, he made a sound. He leaned over Antonio's form, shaking him softly.

"What happened?"

Dante's tears finally fell, "I don't know...he just came home and stumbled out of the car and fell...oh god, he's burning up..."

Vincent unwrapped his palm and examined the wound, "He's been poisoned."

"What?" Dante's head snapped up, "How? He went to the post office..."

"Looks as if...hm..."

"What?"

"I think a mutant did this."

"Oh god" Dante began to cry softly, "This is what you mean by _dangerous men,_ isn't it? Mutants that will kill us! Oh my god...he's gonna die...no..."

Vincent took his face and nudged it upward, holding his jaw softly, "Dante, he's going to be alright. I promise. We'll do whatever it takes, okay?"

Dante nodded and put his hand on Vincent's, "Thank you."

x

"Soon, my husband, soon. You shall belong to me."

She gazed at the picture of Dante with a sigh and a smile, and softly closed the box that held it.


	107. Issue 107

_3_

Dante's shoulders were shaking as Vincent entered the room. "Still nothing?"

Dante shook his head and choked out, "He's dying...I feel it...please, just spare us both..."

He was surprised when he felt the young feral's arm wrap around him in a light hug, "Neither of you are going anywhere."

Dante turned to him, surprised, and his heart jumped as Vincent stroked his tears away with the back of his hand. The gesture surprised him for many reasons; very few people had ever touched him with tenderness, and no man had ever touched him that way but Antonio. The words burst from him before he realized he'd said them out loud, "You must be very comfortable with your sexuality to touch me like this."

Vincent cracked a smile and chuckled softly, "I am. Why should the rest of the world mean a damn to me when I already have everything I ever wanted?"

Dante nodded. Vincent sat near him and took his hands, a familial warmness to his touch, "I want you to go with Lottie and go retrace his earlier steps, okay? We can track this dude down and get an antidote."

Dante looked at him and exhaled, "You're sure?"

"Positive. I'll stay with him. Hell, I'll start filtering his blood through my body if I have to. He'll be fine."

Dante threw his arms around Vincent and held on tightly for a long moment before releasing him, murmuring, "Thank you."

"Go" he murmured. Somehow the words held enough strength for Dante to haul himself off the bed and go find Lottie.

x

His heart felt heavy as he slunk away from Lottie's side. A hand touched his shoulder and instantly, instinct kicked in; he swung the figure around and slammed her into the wall. He was met with as equally inhuman eyes as himself.

"My husband, do not fight me. You want your lover to live, no?"

He gripped her arms, "You...you did this. What do you want from me?"

She put a vial in his hand and murmured, "You will come back to me after leaving this for the feral, and I will show you. Or I will ensure he dies."

He hesitated. He wanted to take the vial and run, but grudgingly, he went back to his meeting place with Lottie and left the vial. He knew it would get into her hands safely...or, he hoped.

Returning to her, his voice was a low hiss, "Touch him and I will kill you."

She beckoned him and ran. Anger boiled in his blood; he followed without a second thought. He had no idea where he was running, but he couldn't let her escape. She disappeared down a set of stairs, and he followed, right into a shadowed apartment.

She slammed the door behind him, "Sweet little anaconda...come to me."

He attacked her, slamming her into the door and sinking his fangs into her neck. She arched and cried out; her nails plunging into his shoulders. It was his turn to scream as his knees became weak. She shoved him back, onto the flat bed. His eyes widened, and he hissed curses and insults in Portuguese, venom-laced tone.

"If you want to keep him alive, do as I tell you."

He glared at her and hissed, "Fuck you."

x

When the venom wore off, she was soundly asleep, and his body was riddled with slashes and cuts. He felt immune to the venom, though his blood poured from the open wounds onto his clothes as he stumbled out into the night. He made it, finding the vial gone, and turned his face to the stars.

_With something so beautiful, divinity is completely just. I can say the same thing about the stars._

Tears streamed down his bloody cheeks as he staggered toward home.

x

"Where is Dante?" Antonio shouted, pulling on his shirt and running outside, "How the hell could you-" He was about to shout 'leave him' when he saw the figure, crawling up the drive.

Dante's legs had given out fifteen minutes prior, and his hands were scraped and bloody from dragging himself along the path toward the house. Antonio felt the pain, the hurt and despair, and he ran to him, "Dante!"

Dante looked at him, seeing him standing and perfectly healthy. Tears streaked down his face more quickly as he lurched to his feet. He ran toward him, screaming hoarsely, "Antonio!"

He collapsed into his arms, his body completely giving out. He fell, limp, into his lover's arms, his blood seeping quickly into the fabric of Antonio's clothes.

He let his eyes fall shut, back in the safety of his lover's arms.

The soft sound of a lullaby in his ears woke him. He blinked slowly and looked up at the angelic, love-filled deep brown eyes of his lover, "Rest, corazon. You're still bleeding severely."

He pulled his hand out of the cool water that filled the tub to stroke Antonio's face, "You're alright?"

"I won't be until you are." He pressed a tender kiss to Dante's head, thoroughly washing his hair. His eyes adjusted to the candles' light slowly and he smiled, "Just add some Enrique and some chocolate covered cherries and this is my fantasy come to life."

"Oh?" Antonio asked teasingly, "You never told me this."

He stretched out and watched as the water suddenly clouded red. A sharp pain in his thigh made him gasp. Antonio, sensing, clamped his hand over his inner thigh, his eyes wide, "That's an artery."

He nodded slowly. Antonio lifted his leg and placed his hands over it, reaching away to grab a first aid kit, "I need you to trust me."

He nodded, "I always do."

After the tender bath, Antonio carried Dante to bed, his body dry and his leg wrapped tightly.

"I love you" he murmured as he was set down and tucked in.

Dante yawned and felt Antonio's arms wrap around him, a soft murmur into his hair, "I love you too." He felt the tender kisses against his face, his neck, over his shoulder and down his arm, all the way down to his finger tips. He arched back against Antonio's chest, "Can I sleep?"

"Of course corazon. Sweet dreams."

He smiled and nuzzled into his arms, "As long as you're in them, they will be."

**X**


	108. Issue 108

**Words**

Lottie was sprawled across the floor, playing peek-a-boo with Arkadi; Ronnie sitting on a pillow and biting the edge, watching him; and Conrad and Vicky were napping in a pile with Slade swiping his claws at the play pen he was entrapped in.

Vincent scooped him up, "Hey, no being mean to Mommy."

Lottie turned and smiled, "Hi Vinny."

He sat down at her side, wrapping his arm around her waist to scoop her up off the floor. She sat up, obliging him, and nuzzled his jaw softly, "What's up babe?"

"When do you wanna get married?"

She blushed, "I dunno...a couple more months? I want the kids to stop needing Mommy for food before the honeymoon...okay?"

He smiled and nuzzled her in return, "It's always okay."

Slade punched him with a closed fist, actually making him yelp, alerting them both to the presence of his growling stomach. Lottie glared, "I'm tempted to go get the artificial formula for him."

At the mention of such, Slade attempted a growl. Lottie leaned over to get Vicky and Conrad to feed first. Arkadi crawled over to Ronnie's pillow and babbled contently.

Vincent held Slade's clawed hands and stared him down, golden eyes to golden eyes. Slade growled. Vincent purred. Slade clapped his hands in front of Vincent's face. Vincent picked him up by his pants. He squeaked and Vincent raspberried his forehead, earning another growl.

"Slade, play nice with Daddy" Lottie said, smiling.

Vincent set Slade on the floor and looked at her, "You just called me his daddy."

"You're my fiancee. You've taken care of my kids like they're your own since they were born. Vinny...you are their daddy. You always have been."

He leaned close to her, holding Slade's claws back, and kissed her tenderly, "I love you so much."

She blushed, "I love you too."

Arkadi began to wail loudly, startling both. They scurried toward him, Vincent picking him up and rubbing his back. Softly, he kissed the little boy's face and rubbed his back, "Shh...it's okay Arka. Daddy's got you, you're safe. You're okay."

Arka quieted, nuzzling into his chest.

"Vinnie!"

Vincent's head snapped up and looked in the direction of the word.

Ronnie sat on the pillow and shouted, "Vinnie!"

"Oh my god" Lottie whispered, "She just talked."

"Vinnie!" Ronnie shouted again, reaching for him.

He scooped her off the pillow and murmured quietly, "Did you just call me Vinny?"

"VINNIE" she screamed louder.

Lottie giggled, "Well she is your sister. She only has loud volume."

Vincent busted out his phone and called his mother.

"Who killed what and where did you bury the body?" she asked upon answering; it was customary now.

"Ronnie just spoke."

He swore he heard her drop the phone, "What did she say? Are you serious?"

"VINNIE!" she screamed again, and he heard his mother gasp.

"She knows my name...to an extent."

"Vinnie, Vinnie, Vinnie!" Ronnie seemed more than pleased with herself as she repeated the word over and over again.

"I'll be right there" Nikki said quietly, clearly listening. After a long moment, she hung up, and Lottie beamed.

"Well, someone took after Mommy, huh? Someone's a very smart girl."

Ronnie beamed and clung to his shirt, "Vinnie."

"I think she thinks I'm a girl." Vincent laughed, stroking her back lightly.

"Ronnie and Vinny. Aww, you two are adorable."

He blushed, "No we're not."

"You are to me." The way her eyes glowed as she said it; even Ronnie stopped shouting. She turned pink and said, "_Vinnie."_

He turned pink and said, "Learn a new word, please."

Lottie set Conrad and Vicky back down and leaned into him, slightly pink herself, and whispered, "Like love?"

He slipped his arm around her back and kissed her softly, murmuring between tender kisses, "Yeah. Or Lottie."

He set Ronnie down and kissed her passionately, feeling the soft beginnings of a purr against his lips.

"Vinnie!" Ronnie shouted suddenly, breaking the moment. Both jumped and laughed, pinking as they broke apart.

"You're gonna turn into twice as bad of a romantic as me. Now you have me _and_ Mom for an example."

"Oh god, she'll write the sequels to Twilight."

x

From the moment Nikki returned home, she proceeded to gush over Ronnie's intelligence. Tayla and Alex were blessedly elsewhere; probably with Alex teaching Tayla more obscure video game terminology.

When they settled in for the night, Vincent felt blessed.

"God, imagine the awkward if she'd picked up on something else" Lottie said, setting her toothbrush in next to his and fluffing her hair.

Vincent burst out laughing, "Or god forbid she started out cursing. Logan would have a fit."

"Your mom would love it though."

"Just like she loves the boys wrestling on the floor? She's always so worried about Conrad, like she thinks Slade's gonna kill him or something. He's a big boy, he can fight back."

She slipped into bed in her silk nightdress, curling up against his chest and looking at him intensely, "Conrad's a sweetheart Vinny. He'll never hurt a soul."

"I know." He lightly stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, slipping his hand softly down her back to hook her leg over his waist, holding the back of her thigh. He traced a leopard spot with the tip of his claw, as if he were drawing on her. She stretched and purred, her body arching against him. He groaned, turning and burying his face in her neck, "You're so beautiful..."

"You are" she whispered, feeling his gentle nuzzling. He pressed a tender kiss to her neck and murmured, "I love you. So much. You're my goddess, in absolutely every way..."

"Oh Vinny..." she purred and nuzzled her cheek to his head, toying with his soft, silken gold locks.

"Bastet" he purred, "The Panther Goddess of ancient Egypt."

"You boys...your brother's been calling me _Pantherinae_ for the past few days."

"Alex is a geek."

"I sorta like it...but you know what would sound better?"

He purred at the change in her tone, "If I purred it to you?"

She blushed, "That too...but in Birmingham, when you called me Pantheria...I like it. What would your codename be, if you were a superhero?"

He moved off of her and cradled her in his arms, "Part of me wants to say Sabretooth...carry on the Creed legacy, you know? and then another part of me...it says Redemption. I'm not my father, and I'll never be anything like him. I want nothing to do with that life...with what he was."

She stroked his hair, "I know."

He rested his cheek on her head, "I love you."

"I love you too." She waited a moment before asking, "Why Redemption?"

"It's a story for another day baby...but you'll know, one day."

**X**


	109. Issue 109

**Two Little Church Mice**

"He didn't want to tell me himself...he said to come ask you. Is this some kind of big family secret?" Lottie asked, sitting in the study with Nikki.

She frowned and shook her head, "No. It's just...it's not a story I like to tell. It's quite a long one."

"I have time."

Nikki smiled and sat across from Lottie at the small table, sipping her sweet tea, "If you think about it, every story is a story within a story, but regardless, the one of my bloodline is...quite a legendary tale.

No one knows, but the first documentation of my kind stated there were five bloodlines. There haven't been many generations in my family...only seven to date. The only stories I know go back to my great grandfather. There are still two generations missing; the earliest two. My great grandfather never spoke of his parents or grandparents, so the stories are lost to us now. He died in fifteen sixty two. He was a warrior through and through, and my grandfather was the son of his only wife. His only son. The story of my grandfather isn't the one we're focusing on though. My father used to tell me the story, and call it _Two Little Church Mice._ I always knew."

Lottie listened intently, mimicking the reporter in Interview With The Vampire. She seemed enthralled already.

"My father was born in sixteen twenty four, his brother was ten years old. I had other aunts and uncles, but that was beside the point. My father was the youngest son, the seventh child. That, by myth, would've made him a vampire, except for his twin sisters." She smiled a little, "He grew up in Ireland, and Vladimir was...protective of him. When Vlad relocated to Transylvania, my father went with him. They became part of the Roman Catholic church, despite what they were. They became two of the first Slayers; hunting and killing those of our kinds that killed innocents, or...did unimaginable deeds. But, as the story goes, Vladimir renounced his religion, and though the temptation reached my father, he didn't. He stayed a Slayer for another hundred years."

"But your kind hates them, right? Or...you know, what you were?"

She nodded slowly, "Slayers had been passed down by the Pope to worthy humans; the fittest of their species with the blood to carry it on. When that arose, my father retired. He went to America from Greece. There, he met my mother. She already lived in America, and so did her parents, she had just come to Greece to visit family that didn't go with. As he used to tell it, it was love at first sight. His parents and most of his siblings loved that he'd fallen in love, but Vladimir didn't. He thought she was a mortal. He thought it was the utmost blasphemy to our kind.

My mother was another bloodline; a bloodline called Morori. It means mortal vampire. My father was the way he was because of his power-he was almost Morori, but...he had a different form; another side. He said he turned my mother to protect her bloodline. Her parents died off, but she remained. She will for a long time too. Morori, to date, have had four generations. My great grand parents, my grandparents, my mother, and me. I don't know if I can, or have, passed any Morori blood to my children.

I was one of...many children. I was only four when my father was taken away, but I was not the youngest. When they took away my siblings, myself and the youngest remained, me, because I hid. They were relocated. My uncle had taken a hand in my father's separation from my mother, but only in the act of shunning him for what he believed to be a crime against our people. Romulus was behind it, even then."

"Vincent...says we're unaffected by Romulus's plans."

Nikki noticed the fear in her eyes at the mention of the name, and held her hand across the table, "We all are now. He's been dead for quite some time. Daken and I killed him ourselves."

She nodded slowly, and allowed Nikki to continue.

"I won't dive into my story; that's a story for another day. My father, up until five years ago, was held in a prison for our kinds...in a desert. He was killed there five years ago. I felt it, the night he died."

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

"My uncle has tried to repent many times, but...always to no avail. My father never believed we were born damned, or even made as such. My uncle was the reason they claim to be. He had somewhat of a passion with the...underworld. He's done things that could've, and possibly did, damn us. No other vampire had ever seriously made their offspring until he did; of course the elders knew it could be done...my uncle lead a massive revolution in our kinds. It was inevitable that most of us would be decimated."

"That's not it, though, is it? That's not why Vincent chose the name? He said it was a story you told him before...about yourself."

"I've told him a lot of stories."

"About his brother, Josh."

Nikki's whole body went rigid. It looked like she'd been crucified internally; her eyes teared and one spilled over her cheek, going unnoticed. Lottie rose to help her when she whispered, "The story of Cassius was one I told him to deter him from my family and what I was born. What Alex took from me, and for which I am so vastly grateful."

Lottie sat down, waiting for her breathing to even. It didn't. The story clearly held pain; an unimaginable sense of pain.

"I met Cassius on a park bench in California, one sunset after I'd lost my memories in the Weapon X process, in nineteen twenty four. He took me home. He cooked for me, and he told me I was safe. He baited the trap, if you will. He allowed me the freedom to come and go as I pleased those first few weeks, then he lured me in with the promises of endless lovemaking, which he obliged easily. I was pregnant after only knowing him six weeks. Without a life to remember, I was thrilled. I thought I had a perfect life. He quickly changed that. After I told him I was pregnant...he made me wait in a bare room while he looked around. I thought he was playing games with me, and he had some kind of surprise..."

Lottie's chest tightened at the very thought of what would come next, seeing Nikki wrap her arms around herself, as if she still felt the pain, "He kissed me when he came back, so passionately that I let him remove my clothes...and he crucified me."

Lottie gasped, her hands flying over her mouth to hide the shock. Nikki shook her head and moved to sit beside her, holding her arm, "Let me keep going...you've got it out of me, now please, let me confess these things to you...I need someone to hear me."

"You never told him this" she breathed, wrapping an arm around her closest friend.

Nikki nodded and slipped her arms around Lottie in return, "I stayed on the wall for three weeks. He fed me and gave me water, but only enough to sustain myself and the child..he never let me down. When he did, I was scared...he took me to clean up, and he watched me. Closely. I was his slave, so easily. After that, I hardly needed a reason to obey him, and sometimes, just for the fact he could, he would terrify me. Back me into the corner with a chain in his hand and beat me until I couldn't move. He didn't want me for sex, he wanted me for blood. I was his donor, and his lover, and his slave. Sex was nothing for him, sex wasn't even pleasure. He took pleasure in hurting me. He was gone on business when I was in labor. I was so scared...he was my firstborn son, and I'd been beaten so badly, so many times, that I was sure I was going to lose him...I didn't, blessedly."

For the briefest of moments, Lottie thought there'd be a happy ending. The look on Nikki's face said otherwise.

"I had him for a few hours before Cassius took him from me. I watched him slit my son's throat and carry him outside, feeding on his blood. It drove me mad. I attacked him. He threw me in the fire place..."

Lottie clung to her, rubbing her back, feeling the tears wetting her shoulder, "He didn't kill Joshua then, but he might as well have."

Lottie nodded and held her tightly, "That's what the nightmares are about, aren't they? His nightmares about losing his family...?"

"Timekeeper and Arcade, yes. They killed all of my children but Vincent and Tayla. After Timekeeper...I had a vow for a while not to get pregnant. I ended my sex life all-together for several months. It put Logan out, but...he was still happy with me. Ronnie and Alex...they'll be the last. As much as I love children, I can't risk it anymore. If I add any more heart break to my life, I'll go insane."

Lottie stroked her hair and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." She softly pressed a kiss to Lottie's hair, "Now, I want you to tell him two things. One, he does not need to be the savior of our bloodline. Two, I know he's the happiest man on earth, but he needs some pants in the morning, or he can let me know when he wants me to stop buying him Transformers boxers."

Lottie giggled and turned pink, "I hadn't noticed."

"Logan has a few pairs. You stay married to a man ten years and you know everything."

Lottie looked at her and locked their fingers tightly, "How many grandchildren do you have?"

"Right now? Seven. If we're including yours, that is."

Lottie blushed brighter, "and...what if I added to that with Vincent?"

Nikki rubbed her arm and looked at her, "Honey, you can have as many kids as you want, I won't stop you. Just...there's always room to get your heart broken. Be careful."

She nodded slowly and clung to her, "I'm always here, you know. You are my best friend Nikki."

"So are you Lott. I guess, we may be the next couple of mice."

Lottie smiled, "Can't we be the cats instead?"

And the statement alone sent the two girls into a light-hearted fit of laughter, with Lottie sensing the weight of the world had just been lifted off Nikki's shoulders.

**X**


	110. Issue 110

**The Party**

"I'm a little scared" Vincent admitted as he fastened Lottie's earrings for her.

"Why? It's just a party. Lester and Kyle had yours covered; I'm a little worried what Daken planned for me."

"I know what you'll have-good food and male strippers. Knowing those two, I'll wake up in Vegas with someone else's baby and a tiger in the bathroom."

"This isn't The Hangover, and if they take you all the way to Vegas, I'll castrate them."

"I'm scared they won't mind" Vincent murmured, his arms tightly around her.

She rubbed his arm, leaning back into his hold, "I love you. And if you make it through tonight...I'll give you a nice present for being such a trooper."

He purred, feeling the curve of her bum grinding against his jean. He sighed and licked her ear, "I hope you have a better party than mine."

x

They were in Malice's basement. The sad thing, according to Kyle, was that most of his friends were girls. The other sad thing, shockingly, was that the girls had invited another girl, Jenna, a sociopathic Jack-The-Ripper type criminal that was a mutual friend of Sharon and Dana. Shawnee was hidden in the corner, and Mitchie and Amanda were chatting and passing a bag of chips back and forth.

The look Lester and Kyle shot each other on occasion sent a cold chill down Vincent's spine. Malice slid onto his lap, startling him from where his gaze remained intensely on the two.

"Something on your mind, tomcat?"

The very mention of the name made him push Malice off his lap, "Don't call me that."

"Hm, alright" he climbed back on tenaciously, "How about Leo?"

"Leo's on her way, by the way" Tara called over from where she sat with Jenna, Dana and Sharon in a loose circle, "She couldn't find anyone to take care of the baby, so she had to bring him too."

"Oh hush Tara" Malice said with a roll of his icy eyes, "Then I'll just call you Tiger."

Vincent sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It can't get much worse than this."

"It can and will. Just relax, have fun...trust me" Malice said. When he felt the other male's tongue on his ear, he jerked back and leapt up, "Okay, seriously! This is not my idea of fun!"

"Believe me, it isn't mine either" a new voice said. He turned, his eyes widening at the blue skinned feral. She held a baby that looked a lot like him, and the scent, it was almost a deal-breaker for him right there. She was staring at him in return, as was the baby.

Kyle got a wicked look on his face, "Vincent, meet Leo. The only lover besides Lottie and your mom that survived your dad."

His eyes stung. They both gritted their teeth. He wanted to storm out, but he'd always had a weakness for such things. He swallowed his emotions and moved forward, "How old is he?"

"Not even a year" she said quietly.

He offered the baby his hand, and watched as he clamped his little hands around Vincent's fingers. Almost mechanically, the child was passed to him, and he held him with a tender purr rumbling in his chest.

"What's his name?" he sniffed the baby, thanking god the child had no trace of his father's scent on him, even if, vaguely, he smelled like him.

"I guess with you two in the same room, he'd be Little Vincent."

He exhaled and looked at Kyle. Kyle looked confused, and Lester looked downright hurt. He was the one to follow when Vincent walked out and sat on the stairs outside.

"Vince...hey" he sat down close enough for the heat of his skin to radiate to him. He felt cold, inside and out. He held down the sickness building in him and the tears in his eyes, "I didn't come here for this. I thought you two were gonna prank me with strippers or something...or get me drunk and let Malice talk me into something I'd never do sober." He gritted his teeth, "I don't want to think of Victor."

He nodded and sighed, "I'm sorry. Listen...there's a harem of girls and one guy who'll do anything down there. Kyle will be fine. How about you and me hit a bar, and have a real party?"

He glanced to him and sighed, "Well, the night couldn't get any worse. Let's go."

**X**


	111. Issue 111

**Weapon Two**

"Oh god" the moment I came to, fire-searing pain was splitting through my skull. I didn't dare move. When the pain ebbed away, I reached up and touched my head. Fresh blood. I wiped it from my eyes and looked around.

It should've struck me sooner, but this was an unfamiliar place. This was all so strange. I stumbled out into the street.

"Vincent! Holy shit! There you are!" someone gripped me tightly and I almost completely fell over into their hold. My head spun, and hurt badly.

"Bullseye, go get the car" the voice said. My body felt heavy, even to me. He caught me and nearly completely lifted me up, grunting, "Cut back on the cheese burgers buddy."

A fresh wave of red poured over my eyes. He helped me lay down on the concrete and clamped his hands over my head, "Vince, c'mon, talk to me."

"Who are you?" I gasped softly, "Who's Vincent?"

"Oh fuck" he murmured, "It's me, Kyle. You don't remember?"

My body hurt. I closed my eyes and whimpered, "No...what happened to me?"

"I dunno, you gotta tell us...which is gonna be a problem. A big one."

My vision went black. I panicked. There was a weight on my chest...

_Stop that right now! Come back here! You're not leaving me, you hear me! Vincent, look at me!_ I heard words, but not with my ears. Violet eyes stared into my own...why was I seeing? I wasn't really seeing?

_I love you._

"Damn it Vincent, open your eyes! Please!" there was a hard hit, right in the center of my chest. I coughed from the force of it, and cracked my eyes open.

The violet eyed girl sat close to me; she was the one who punched me. She threw her arms around my neck and held me tightly. I melted in the warmth of her embrace. When she cradled my head and started to press gentle kisses to it, I didn't feel pain. If anything, the pain dulled. The tightness of bandages finally registered...and they were everywhere. Her lips met mine, softly begging for a real kiss, which I obliged.

"Do you remember me? Kyle said you didn't remember anything..." her fingers traced over my bicep and whispered, "Charlotte, remember? You're the only one allowed to call me Charlotte...you're my fiancee. I love you. Don't you remember Slade? Conrad? Vicky?"

My head throbbed. I pulled her closer and silenced her with a kiss. She turned pink and pulled back, "Vinny, please talk to me..."

"I remember...the taste of your lips, and how beautiful you look fresh out of bed..."

She blushed brightly, almost enough to distract from the tears in her eyes. I softly stroked her face, "I remember you. Your face, your smile, the beautiful feeling of your lips against mine, those beautiful sounds you make when you're so tired and you just curl up to me and purr..."

My mind swam, and suddenly, there was daylight in the room. She was still there, but she had a cool, damp cloth pressed to my chest, stroking the wounds.

"What happened?"

"You passed out" she murmured. "I'm sorry you keep waking up with just me...your mom's beside herself."

"My mom?" I tried to push myself up. She gently lay me back down and murmured, "Yes, your mom. You had Weapon Two carved into you..."

"What the hell is Weapon Two?" I wanted to arch against her touch. She softly cradled my face and murmured, "That was the project that gave her the adamantium. Remember, before Magneto took it out to save her life?"

I looked at her, somewhat blankly, "What's a Magneto?"

She chuckled softly and stroked my face, "It's okay baby...it'll come back."

x

I didn't know it at the time, but she sat with me the whole time. When I was awake, those two days my memories returned bit by bit, she helped me talk through them and sort them. The third day, I'd fallen asleep, and I didn't wake up for another week.

When I woke, I was ravenous. I yawned and stretched and climbed out of bed.

Lottie was attempting to feed Vicky some apple sauce, nearly in tears with her protests.

"Vicky, listen to your mother."

Vicky's face lit up and she opened her mouth. Lottie whipped around just as I walked up beside her, and momentarily forgetting the apple sauce, flung her arms around my neck, "Oh my god Vinny...I was so scared..."

"If she doesn't eat it, I will. I'm starving."

She sprung to make some food, and I laughed. Vicky looked put out at the sudden lack of apple sauce. I took her spoon and looked at her, "Open."

She did and squeaked when I gave her apple sauce. She clapped her hands in delight. I grinned and kissed her forehead, "That's my little girl."

"You remember everything, Vinny?" Lottie asked as she cooked a steak for me.

I purred, "If I say yes, will it be done any faster?"

She just laughed and shook her head, blushing bright enough to match Vicky's high chair.

**X**


	112. Issue 112

**Street Fair**

Neither had ever been the romantic type, but oddly enough, their romance was almost an act of defiance. In the mostly conservative town that followed the trend and had undertones of everything imaginable; the gangs weren't explicit, most of the gays were in the closet, people were afraid to show their personalities at all in their small-town setting.

So when Nikki brought her family back to her hometown for the street fair, Daken and Lester had been the first two out the door.

They walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, to the looks of people around them. They were both used to the looks of surprise and chagrin, especially from people between their ages. Daken had a light blush color his cheeks as he stopped to glance in a store window, "They're watching us like vultures."

Lester grinned and shamelessly groped his lover's backside, causing a soft squeak of surprise to break Daken's usually calm demeanor. There were low murmurs from passers-by, and Lester chuckled in Daken's ear as he slipped an arm around his waist, "They'd probably have a bigger fit if they knew I was half your age."

"Shush" he murmured, turning a light pink. Softly, his face was turned so Lester's lips pressed to his. People actually stopped to watch as Daken turned, slipping his arms around his lover's neck and deepening their kiss. Lester groaned as he pulled away, "Kissing you is so...sexy."

Daken blushed and softly ran the pad of his thumb across Lester's cheek, cradling his face as Lester pulled them chest-to-chest. A tender kiss was pressed to his lips again, "Those soft...plush...pink lips..." Each adjective was backed with another kiss until Daken felt his face burning. He'd never blushed so much in his life; but in Lester's arms, he felt the urge to blush over and over and burn with a brightness that the sun could only match. Their noses brushed gently, a light nuzzle of affection as Lester held Daken's face in his rough palms. They kissed again, more tenderly, and if the summer heat hadn't gotten to him already, he melted with the burning passion in the kiss.

Tayla was three seconds from throwing a fit, that much was obvious when everyone had told her she wouldn't be able to lift the mallet to win the game. Lottie knelt by her side, wiping her tears away, hearing her quiet murmur of "Sal would've gotten it for me."

With a sigh, Vincent walked up, "Give me the damn hammer."

The man running the game sized him up, "You think you can handle this half-pint?"

Lottie's head snapped up, partially ready to defend her mate, partially wondering if he was going to kill him. Vincent took it from his hand, his eyes narrowed in the kind of glare that made his eyes look flat amber-as if there was no pupil. The man backed off, and in one swing, _ding_. He passed it back rather roughly, "My sister wanted the monkey in the banana."

Tayla grinned with pure satisfaction as the plush was passed into her hands. She ran up to Vincent, being scooped up, and slipped her little arms around his neck in a warm hug, "Thanks Vince."

"Any time Tay."

"Can we play rubber duckies now?" she asked.

"Sure" he said. He glanced to Lottie, seeing her smile as she shifted Vicky in her arms, the boys content in their triplet stroller.

"Lead the way" she said, "Just keep them out of Vicky's grasp."

"Starting to regret this, Logan?" Kyle asked, holding Ronnie while Nikki shopped in a booth, glancing over tie-dyed dresses and intricate, flower-themed jewelry. Alex glanced to Logan, "I think I should go find Vince and Lottie..."

"Go, it's fine" he said, waving Alex off, "Lott probably needs help with the babies anyway."

With a look of relief, Alex scuttled off into the crowd. Kyle sat on the curb next to Logan, and when Nikki's face lit up, Logan faintly smiled.

She rolled out a twenty and walked over while the man made change, holding out her wrist to Logan, "Would you mind?"

He glanced over the gold bracelet of flowers and champagne gems, locking it around her wrist, "It suits you."

She blushed slightly, "It called to me." She stepped back and grabbed the leftover cash, looking to the boys, "You two hungry yet?"

"Those lemon ices are smelling better and better in this heat" Kyle said.

She laughed softly, "Alright. Let's go get something." Kyle handed her baby Ronnie and proceeded toward the sugar-filled sweet foods while Nikki lead Logan to get some Italian ice.

Somehow, the entire family had congregated in the games around sunset. Nikki watched Tayla closely as she rode the moving swings. Vincent and Alex had abandoned their responsibilities for a moment and run off to the spinning tops. Kyle was relaxing on a bench, re-hydrating and keeping a watchful eye over the babies with Lottie, and Logan watched in amusement as Lester aimed the dart and flung it, popping three balloons in one shot. He roared with laughter at the look Lester was given-one of complete and utter shock. They'd been at this about an hour, and it seemed to be the highlight of the night...and there were two balloons left to be popped. A small crowd had gathered to watch, and most people had figured out quickly who he was.

Lester lined up his final shot, grinned, and glanced to Daken, "You sure you don't wanna steal my thunder?"

He grinned at him, holding the first of many prizes Lester had already won for him, "I'm holding a stuffed dog. I have no right to any thunder-stealing anymore."

"Sure you do" Lester murmured and stole a kiss quickly, throwing the dart as they kissed. The two balloons exploded, and the crowd cheered.

Lester pulled away with a grin and laughed, "Thanks for the assistance babe."

Kyle shook his head as Lottie munched on some kettle corn, "You think people showed up for the festivities, or for us?"

"Hm, a bit of both I'd think" she said and passed him the open bag.

**X**


	113. Issue 113

**Archangels**

_1_

It never struck Lottie as a surprise when Alex decided he wanted to go up to the city with her. She let him take his usual rounds of the city while she got groceries; his usual rounds being the children's hospital, the local nursing homes, and some animal shelters. Alex was surely a soon-to-be saint.

He just never had the right timing.

She sighed, hauling the bags into the back of her wedding present from Logan-a shiny, candy apple red Jeep Wrangler, full of off-road capabilities, four wheel drive, and had adamantium plating and triple reinforced bulletproof glass.

It was one of the most badass of the family's cars, and also, the most insulting in Lottie's opinion. She knew it was a gesture of love, that they didn't want her to get hurt, and Vincent had probably given him a list of things that would keep her safe, but she had to admit it was a little much.

"I feel like Bella Swan" she muttered, loading the groceries in the back.

A milk bottle tumbled, and by the time she whipped around, a stranger had already come up near her and caught it. He handed it to her, "My apologies Miss. Did you need some help?"

"I'm almost done, but thank you" she said. He seemed nice enough, but she got a feeling from him that set her on edge. She was surprised when he helped anyway, and noticed that through the somewhat thin shirt he wore, he had raised, healing scars...they looked similar to claw marks. Her blood froze. It was a natural reaction; she wracked her mind for someone who could want them dead. By now, it was ingrained into her mind; expect the worst, hope for the best. She closed the back. He leaned on the car.

"My name is Seth."

She nodded, "Thank you for the help, Seth."

He frowned, his dark gaze narrowing, "I've frightened you."

"A little. Not many guys appear out of nowhere."

His smile was unnerving, "I'm not many guys." He rose, and she was tempted to brace herself for a fight. She had no idea why, but her blood was frothing in her veins. She was livid with pure terror, and for some unknown reason. He took a few steps toward her. She stepped back, watching him.

"I won't hurt you Charlotte. Not yet, anyway."

Her eyes widened. She ran for the door and was slammed back against the car. She gasped, face to face with cold looking black eyes. He pinned her to the car, his hold around her neck so tight she couldn't even gasp or choke. Hushed, panicked whines started to escape her. He looked her over and growled, "The only way to hurt her is to hurt them; what better way than through her golden child? Destroying him from the inside out will destroy her, and then, no one can stop me."

As he mused aloud, she wondered if she was hearing him right. His eyes filled with fire. His hold burned. Her head was spinning. She pushed and clawed...he wasn't bleeding.

A sound, a lower growl than Victor had ever made, left him. He leaned in and murmured, his hot, brimstone scented breath brushing her face, "I'll be back, Charlotte."

She gasped as she dropped to the pavement and looked around. He was gone.

"Lottie!" Alex rushed over, rubbing her back as she coughed. She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"What happened?" he asked. The tenderness of his touch brought the burning feeling on her neck back to the surface. His eyes widened, "How...?"

"How what?" she gasped, touching her neck tenderly.

"It looks like you've been scalded."

x

Vincent softly cleaned the healing marks on her neck, scowling the entire time. She'd told him everything, and somehow, the databases had turned up nothing.

"It's fine" she whispered, "Stop scowling, please."

His amber eyes were full of fury. She gasped in shock at the pure hatred in his eyes. He wrapped her in his arms and placed a tender kiss on her lips, "I am going to hunt him down and rip his heart out myself. No one touches you but me, no one harms you and lives."

She stroked his face softly, nuzzling him, "Shh...please calm down. It's okay. Don't let him win."

"He threatened you. He threatened our life. Our family. I'll make him wish he was never born."

"What if he was never born, Vince?"

A look crossed his face as he pulled away, "What?"

She paled, watching him closely. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, going back to holding her, "Baby, I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you. I could never be. Please don't be scared." Tenderly, he nuzzled her hair and kissed her cheek. A low, soft purr rumbled in his chest, soothing her into purring herself. He stroked over her skin softly. Her head rested against his chest, her words coming out thick with impending sleep, "What if he's not a mutant, Vinny? What if he's not...like us. Ask Nikki for me..."

He stroked her hair as he laid her in bed, climbing in beside her and holding her close, "In the morning. Sleep. I've got you baby...you're safe."

x

Fresh, wet snow touched her face, waking her from her peaceful sleep. Her silk nightdress was pushed up over her knees, her back on the frozen ground, and Seth leaning between her legs, stroking her skin with his searing hot touch. She started and pulled back, a startled scream escaping her. He grasped her and dragged her closer, the action pushing the hem higher on her legs.

"Careful, Charlotte. In your state, you already tempt me far too much."

"Leave me alone." Her violet eyes were full of defiance. He hit her, hard enough to send her into a tree. She gasped, holding her face. He'd drawn blood with his nails. Her back protested, but she got up and ran. She burst out of the trees, into the falling snow. The house was against the night sky, in the distance.

His grip was around her suddenly, his hold so tight no air entered her lungs again. She clawed at his hands desperately, feeling one slip under the edge of her nightgown.

"Please stop" she gasped. Tears sprung to her eyes, her body shaking, "Please don't."

His touch halted, and his grip on her throat loosened. She gasped, falling forward into the snow. He grabbed her arm roughly and slit her wrist. She gasped, but found his weight on her too crushing to move. He turned her wrist over a cup, filling it with her blood. When it healed, he smiled wickedly, "Still want to pass up my offer? Without that, your purpose to me has been filled. I won't need you anymore."

Her hot tears rolled down her face, "Get off me. Let me go, please."

The tender touch felt so horribly wrong as he stroked down her cheek. His weight vanished.

She bolted upright and sprinted into the house, her body trembling from the cold, yet burning from the unwanted touch. She slammed and locked the door, her hands trembling.

"Lott, god where were you? I've been looking all over for you" Vincent said. He noticed her state and rushed to her, holding her, his hands creating gentle friction and warming her, "What happened?"

"He took me out there...he wanted me...he pinned me down and cut my wrist and took my blood...he said my purpose was filled" she gasped, clutching onto him; his skin was clearly much warmer than hers.

He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to their room. Softly, he helped her slip out of the soaking night dress. A growl instantly burst from him.

Burns covered her legs from halfway down her thigh; burns he hadn't noticed. Her wrist was completely red, as if it had been burned too, but had healed more quickly. Her back looked as if it had been scratched repeatedly. Softly, he slipped up behind her and stroked her burns on her thighs, leaning her back to his chest. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, covering herself. He exhaled softly, "Baby..."

"Don't let me go. Please."

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close, leading her back to the bedroom. He kept her close as he helped her into one of his shirts. She clung to him, tightly, clearly terrified. If he was going to be honest, so was he.

"Sleep. I'll stay up and protect you."

The words seemed to soothe her enough for her to curl up against his chest, his hold never once loosening. Night slowly turned to day, and while she got her sleep, he waited. The daylight hours had to be safer, he figured. He was about to close his eyes when he heard rattling; heavy, hard rattling. It woke Lottie. She grasped him and followed as he rushed into the hall, toward the front of the house.

Everyone who would fight was gathering on the stairs; Kyle, Logan, Lester and Daken...and shortly followed by Dante and Antonio.

"What's going on?" Vincent asked.

Alex walked up beside him and said, "For some reason, Satan is focused on Lottie."

Vincent's eyes widened, "_He's the fuckin' devil?"_

The door burst open. Logan growled. Most lunged into an attack stance. Lester had a gun drawn; Vincent figured he probably slept with one under his pillow.

His attention was split between Seth entering the house, followed by a young man, chained and bound with blood colored wings; like Icarus. The boy looked as if he'd seen years upon years of abuse, but the innocence in his eyes spoke of youth. He looked up at them. There were deep scratches across his throat. Kyle winced, the sight familiar.

Alex's wings slowly unfurled. He stuck his finger, and from the blood, a dagger formed. Lottie's eyes were on the boy. He made a choking sound, and with a breathy voice, rasped, "Mother..."


	114. Issue 114

_2_

Lottie dropped to her knees in absolute horror. Tears spilled over her face. Her eyes met the boy's and stayed locked with his.

"Ignore him Lottie. He's not your son. He's the product of Satan's dark magic."

"and yet" Seth said, pulling the chain and making the boy stand, "Your blood runs through his veins. He is what I am, but he is your blood."

"Let him go" Antonio murmured, "He's just a child, if what you say is true. Just let him go. Even the child of hell is innocent."

Seth and Alex locked gazes. Alex's wings extended.

"Alex, please, let him go!" Antonio shouted.

"and risk raising hell on earth? Not over my severed head." Alex charged. Lottie screamed. She went to follow, but Kyle held her back.

Alex lunged at Seth, being thrown into the door. Vincent followed Alex's lead attack with one of his own, the black wrought iron cross around his neck enough to keep Seth back far enough to take his hits, but not deliver a fatal blow.

The chained boy leapt on Vincent's back, bringing him down. He gave a wild cry and ripped into him.

"Vincent!" Lottie screamed, fighting Kyle's hold.

Bullseye shot the boy in the back, knocking him off. He turned and locked eyes with Lottie once more. The flame she'd seen in his father's eyes was there, but not directed toward her. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she pled, "Please, son, don't hurt him. I love him. Just run, be free, leave him and get away from here!"

The boy gave a cry and lunged at Vincent again. He managed to throw him to the ground, off of Seth. She heard him cry in pain. She sunk into Kyle's arms and screamed, "_Stop, please stop!"_

The boy screamed in agony. Lottie lifted her head, watching as her blood spilled down the boy's chest from where the dagger like end of the cross had pierced his heart. Vincent got up, slowly. He looked like he'd been mauled by a hungry animal. He punched the cross and drove it in deeper, acting like a stake. For a moment, Lottie didn't breath, torn between her mate and the boy brought to life by her blood. Tears poured down her cheeks as a final blow killed the young one, and Vincent dropped to his knees, his wounds severe. She felt rooted to the spot, much like the others probably did.

Alex was fighting Seth. It seemed like the purest battle of good and evil ever to happen, and it was taking place before her. Alex was waiting for the right moment, hitting him with sharp, white-light oriented blasts. When he had the chance, he plunged the blade into Seth's chest, just like the cross had been plunged into their son's.

Lottie sunk to the floor, Kyle sinking with her. Dante rushed to her side, fanning her gently, "Lottie, breath."

She clutched him and watched, "It's killing him...oh my god, how is it killing him?"

"Move aside, and allow me to take over here."

Lottie turned at the unfamiliar voice. Nikki leaned on the wall, smiling softly. The strong looking man with shaggy red hair descended the stairs, directly toward Alex. He placed a hand on his shoulder, and much like Alex's wings, silver tinted white ones extended from his back.

"Well damn" Logan said.

"You've done exceptionally Alex. I know your mother is proud, and so am I" he said, rubbing the young boy's shoulder. Their size difference was almost comical.

"Is he God?" Dante murmured, looking to Kyle.

"He's my father" Nikki said, "and he's an Archangel now."

x

"Hell has officially been put in God's jurisdiction, now that Seth has a personal vendetta" Patrick commented to his daughter as they stood on the former throne of the fallen devil.

"The boy was Lottie's though, wasn't he?" she asked.

"Not biologically. Not even in spirit. He took her blood to make him live so he could have an heir; it's less like mothering, more like siring."

"I told her the story, you know."

"It doesn't surprise me" softly, he stroked his daughter's hair back, "Read me the list, will you?"

"Victor Creed. Mariko Yashida." a startled laugh burst from her lips, "Puck." Her eyes teared as she read the list of names of people who, under her father's rule in hell, were getting a second chance to go to Heaven and repent for their wrongs. She was crying by the final name. The final man came forward to greet her in spirit, his own teary-eyed smile meeting her own. "Uncle Vlad."

She rushed forward to hug him, soft, choked sobs escaping her. For a long time, she hugged the people that meant the dearest to her; and upon reaching Victor, he grinned and scooped her up off the ground, kissing her heatedly and crushing her to his chest. Blessedly, her father avoided watching the sight.

"I love ya kitten" he purred in her ear, "an' when ya leave me at the pearly gates, ya better know me an' my ma are waiting for ya. Don't rush, we'll wanna be there a while. I got time t' catch up on ya know."

She nodded, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He held her and whispered, "It ain't goodbye yet. Ya gotta at least tell yer old man we gotta get up north."

She nodded, smiling, and let go. Her father had already fashioned a gold throne of his own and sat upon it; a fierce sword sat on his hip like the medieval warrior he once was. He smiled and stood, embracing his daughter tightly with a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Have fun Daddy."

He chuckled, letting her slip away, "I gave you half your DNA, you know I will."

She walked back to Victor's side and locked her fingers with his once more, "One last hurrah babe?"

He roared with laughter, "I'll kiss ya at the gate, and you can wait til ya die for yer hurrah. This ain't a good enough reunion for me."

"Somehow, you selfish, idiot bastard, I still love you."

"an' somehow, ya uppity, naive, vain, an abusive frail, I love you too."

The others wasted no time rushing past her into the refuge of Heaven, but Mariko Yashida lingered with the two, "Nikki-sama. Logan-san has made a good choice in taking you for a wife. If you will, tell him that. I am happy, as long as he is happy."

"Thank you M'iko."

Victor and Nikki were alone for a moment together. He sighed, looking at her, "I guess this is goodbye for a while. But listen, if ya ever need me babe, just lay down an' take a nap, and I'll see if I can't pop into your dreams."

She wrapped her arms around him, barely clutching his waist. Her cheek nuzzled his chest. He purred softly, comfortingly, and let her go. "I love ya kitten. I'll see ya 'round."

"I love ya too tomcat. See you when I see you."

He grinned. For the first time, closure seemed to come with her return to the land of the living.

Alex sat over her, smiling, "Is it okay now?"

She hugged him tightly, "Thank you Alex."

"I figured since everyone else is shaken up, it'd be best to hang around you. Vince and Lottie are elsewhere anyway."

"Elsewhere?"

"They're fine now."

With a short nod, mother and son went to the wide library windows and looked out. Nikki leaned on the wall and smiled absently, "I think we've just done another 'huge-leap-for-mankind' moment."

"Mutant kind, actually. We're so much cooler."

**X**


	115. Issue 115

**Poison**

_1_

Dante smiled, cradling Conrad on his hip. He purred contently. Arkadi and Ronnie were hidden in a box nearby; their usual hiding spot, and Slade, the tiny terror, had fallen asleep from his temper tantrum in his high chair.

"You may not realize it yet, Con, but you're my favorite baby."

Conrad covered his face and giggled. Dante smiled, shifting Conrad to nuzzle up to his face, "Little boy in blue." Conrad giggled.

"You'd be a wonderful father" Antonio murmured, slipping up behind him.

Dante smiled, "So would you. Help me track down Vicky, would you?"

"Alex has her. They're upstairs, playing with the cat."

"Tony, you're a dream" Dante murmured, leaning back to kiss his boyfriend's jaw.

Two interested coos arose from inside the cardboard box, with the tiny faces of Ronnie and Arkadi peering over. Antonio scooped them up and murmured, "You two could never be found if you really put your mind to it, huh?"

Ronnie giggled and Arkadi nuzzled her, his little hands flailing to hers.

"I think we're witnessing the early stages of young love."

Very gently, he carted off the two for a nap; Conrad began to doze against Dante's shoulder. He carried Conrad into the living room and murmured, "Only a short one for me buddy, okay? I agree completely. It's exhausting." His tongue unfurled over his lips, extended in a yawn. Gently, he held Conrad's tiny body between his and the couch so he wouldn't fall, and quickly fell asleep.

"Thank you" Lottie said, holding Slade as he slept, "How'd you guys get him down for a nap?"

"He threw a fit and we let him have his tantrum. He fell asleep on the spot."

Lottie smiled and slowly rocked the usually crabby baby as he slept.

Tayla peeked over Dante's shoulder at Conrad, smiling widely. She reached her little hand over and the side of his head-as far as she could reach. She stared at Dante intently before walking back around and sitting on the floor, toying with his ponytail as she watched Elmo.

Dante held Conrad warmly as they slept, unaware of the footsteps slowly crunching down the long drive.


	116. Issue 116

_2_

"I really hope you're not headed toward the house."

The sudden voice actually caught the snake mutant off guard, almost into dropping her basket. The strong looking blond feral was flanked by two others, one that could've passed for his twin, and one dark haired.

"Leave me alone" she said, her eyes narrowing to black slits.

"And I've been bitten by enough snakes to know I'm immune" the dark-haired one said, stepping out of flank to allow the other two to spread out.

"You're surrounded, if you didn't know" the smaller blond one voiced, "Nobody comes out here."

"I smell him on you" she hissed, setting the basket down and whirling to stare at the large blond one, "Where is Dante?"

"Nowhere of concern to you."

A shiver ran down her spine. She whirled, looking for an opening. They were inching closer, baby step by baby step. Like wolves cornering prey. "I-I'll scream."

"Good. Make it loud" the smaller one growled.

She let out a shriek and bolted, being caught by the dark haired feral.

The sound of screaming reached Dante's ears at the same time Antonio winced. He grasped his arm, almost to steady himself, "They really need to hunt away from the house."

They sat on the stairs, their fingers locked together. Softly, Dante's touch quelled the pain Antonio felt from the three's victim.

"She's dead...that certianly felt pleasant." With a note of sarcasm in his tone, Antonio stood and went inside. Dante exhaled, gazing after him.

The boys came up the drive, laughing and joking together. Daken was flipping through a stack of bills and whistled, "This girl was _loaded!"_

Kyle stopped suddenly, "Guys?"

Dante's head snapped up and he moved over, not even bothering the two ferals standing, staring at Kyle.

There was a baby in the basket. A tiny, fragile looking baby was in the basket.

"Holy god" Kyle murmured as Dante lifted the child out. The tiny baby had scales, and a nearly orange skintone...and when he opened his eyes, the same yellow as Dante's stared back.

"Dude, you slept with a girl?" Daken shouted.

Antonio stood in the door, his eyes wide as well. He blinked and exhaled. Dante just looked purely mortified.


	117. Issue 117

_3_

"I have a son" Dante repeated for the tenth time, holding the baby in his grasp.

After hearing what had lead to said baby in question, Antonio was mostly confounded how in the course of a few weeks, the child had happened.

Lottie entered the kitchen where they sat, reaching in the ice box for some milk.

"Lottie, I have a kid."

Antonio looked exasperated as Lottie turned, rolling her eyes, "You're changing it."

"We really have to name him" Antonio chimed in before Dante had time to complain. He moved to take the baby from his lover's arms and gaze at him. The child looked like Dante, in the purest aspects. The tiny hands clutched at the messy, shaggy strands of Antonio's hair. He studied him and whispered, "Judas."

The very idea of the name made Dante start, hitting his knee on the table, "Oh! Tony, are you serious?"

Antonio stared intently into the child's innocent eyes and whispered, "Always, behind your back they called you Judas, Dante. They knew you and I would end up together; they wanted us gone. We'll we're gone, and it's the perfect way to turn our lives around...I know I always ask the world of you, corazon, but admit it, you'd never make a decision if I wasn't telling you what options you had."

Dante gulped visibly. He rubbed his knee and thought intently, "It is just a name..."

"Judas Armand."

Dante quirked a smile and watched as Antonio cradled the baby close to his lean muscled chest. "I love it."

Lottie glanced between them, "If he turns out evil, I will kill him. Understood, boys? I want nothing to do with the devil in this household, especially around my children."

Dante cradled the baby between himself and Antonio, "No. He won't be. He's beautiful. Something so beautiful can't be so evil."

Lottie stood up and looked at him, her heart sinking, "I know. I know exactly what you're seeing. This baby was born out of hatred, maybe he can be the same as Vincent, maybe he can really be good and pure and innocent and never know pain. But I saw a child brought to life with my blood, made into a weapon through torture, and decimated before my eyes. I can't tell you if I know for a fact that evil can carry, but I swear...if there is anything I would've done, it would've been to give that boy a new chance at life, with a different father."

"He wasn't that child's father, Lottie."

Antonio's words fell on deaf ears as Lottie left the room with her tea, "I know. I could've never been his mother, either."

x

Judas's tiny hands held the charm on the necklace around Antonio's neck. He put it in his mouth, made a face and pushed it away. Antonio smiled and rubbed his back, "Metal doesn't taste so good huh?"

"He's gorgeous."

Nikki's comment didn't surprise Antonio any, but Dante, who was just walking in with the baby bottle, paused.

"Thank you Miss Howlett."

With a smile, Antonio allowed Nikki to hold the baby. Dante looked a little wary of the den mother feral for a moment before approaching her, "You're okay with this, right Miss Nikki?"

"Of course." Nikki beamed, "You have a beautiful son Dante. Take care of him." Gently, he was passed back to his father, and Dante nearly sighed with relief, giving his son the bottle.

**X**

Author's note- Chapters two and three were supposed to be one chapter, but due to software problems, I had to split them and post them separately.


	118. Issue 118

**Fire and Powder**

Their love was either sweet or violent, never both. As of their reunion, it had been mostly sweet.

Daken groaned as the knife blade sunk into his hip and dragged a bloody trail. The bruises on his honey-toned skin ached pleasantly. He arched against the sensual touch that accompanied the hot sting of the blade. "You love it when I take control" Lester purred with a satisfied smirk.

He arched up for a kiss that his lover obliged. His lip was split with a violet bite as his lover drew back and smiled. "You're so beautiful covered in blood..."

Daken whined and looked up at his lover. Lester pulled the bonds that held his hands to the bed and released him, watching his lover smile slowly as his arms wrapped around him. Blood and sex were things he knew his lover was comfortable with.

"Please...be gentle later...I need you to own me" Daken purred seductively, grasping his lover's belt and opening it.

"Off with your pants" Lester purred in his ear, "and let me take my time."

He did as instructed and turned a bit pink at the smoldering gaze he was given. Seeing the wounds healing, slowly, part of him wanted to be as gentle as possible with his lover; please him to no end and allow the more delicate male to rest easy in his arms. A deep, twisted part of him, told him to throw caution to the wind and make him hurt. He ran his hands softly over his lover's sides, watching as his lips upturned in a smile. His soft hand brushed his cheek, "Don't worry...I don't need you to be gentle."

"I know. But you've got me now...I can't hurt you anymore. I don't want to."

He stroked his lover's hips softly in his rough hands, listening to the quiet sigh that escaped him. He smiled and lowered his lips to the large bruise from the violent hickey on his delicate throat.

A moan of pain and pleasure escaped him, the bruise throbbing under Lester's soft kiss.

"I'm sorry" he murmured, caressing his delicate body.

Daken gasped, clinging to his shoulders, "No...I love it..."

Love was made into the night, and when both finally felt satisfied, Daken collapsed into his lover's arms and quickly fell asleep. Gently, Lester stroked his hair and held him tightly, "I love you, Aki."

x

When the lovers walked down the stairs, Nikki grinned at them over her iced coffee. Lottie grinned, equally wickedly, watching them.

"Have fun last night boys?" Nikki asked.

Daken turned red, "Why?"

"Next time you're fucking, close the door all the way" Lottie said, as if finishing Nikki's thought for her.

Daken turned bright red and Lester shrugged, "Alright."

Nikki squeaked and pulled on Daken's shirt, "YOU HAVE A HICKEY!"

Lottie leapt up to examine it, and Lester went to pieces against the ice box door, laughing uncontrollably, "Girls."

**X**


	119. Issue 119

**Til The World Ends**

_Sixteen years in the future_

"Are you sure we can get in?" Ronnie asked, letting Judas lead the way.

Her brother in arms glanced back to her, "Of course."

The teenagers gathered outside the newest club in Toronto, where the family had relocated after...well, a lot had happened to destroy the old Howlett house, but once it had happened, they'd relocated to Victor's old house. Which happened to _not_ be fifty miles from the city.

Surprisingly, like Judas said, they got in without so much as presenting an ID. They, being Ronnie, Arkadi, Judas and Slade. It was perfect for them, it seemed. Arkadi and Ronnie slipped into the crowd to dance, the only distinguishing feature left to be seen were her hot-pink-fishnet-clad legs. Judas unbuttoned his shirt and strode toward the bar in the back, "Let's get this party started."

Slade tagged along, if only for the amusement of seeing the young mutant striptease on the bar.

"Love Game, my good sir" Judas called to the DJ as he climbed onto the bar.

"God, old school Lady Gaga" Slade muttered, sliding into a high-raised chair and watching as the boy he considered a brother attracted the attention of the mostly human crowd. He danced across the bar, grinding his hips into random women and even a few men. Slade had begun to laugh, and disolved into full blown hysterics. People mostly ignored him. Judas whipped his shirt off and threw it to Ronnie, who shook her head as she caught it, and lowered into a crouch, his booted feet scuffing the bar top as his hand slid over his crotch all the more suggestively.

Women screamed, but some were drown out by Slade's laughter, "YER DADS ARE WATCHING, MONTY PYTHON!"

Judas's eyes widened. He whipped around to see Antonio and Dante, standing near the stairs by the DJ booth; Dante was staring in horror, but Antonio looked a little furious. With a quirk of his lips, he lowered himself forward and captured a young girl's mouth in a very heated, very passionate kiss. She had to have been younger than them. Ronnie's eyes widened and she shouted, "Judas!"

He let the girl go and she toppled back, wide-eyed and blue. Her lip was split, and his forked tongue licked blood off his mouth. People looked on in horror as Arkadi rushed to the girl and glanced to Judas.

"Y-You killed her..."

"What?" Judas asked, his eyes wide. He jumped down. People panicked and backed away. Slade moved over and slung an arm around Judas's bare shoulders, "Looks like you're poisonous buddy. I think I need to call you King Cobra now, huh?"

Judas pulled away. Dante called his name, but he snatched his shirt away and ran for the door. The crowd parted like the Red Sea; and his friends-his family-pursued. He ran until he couldn't breath, from the busy nightlife in the city to the park at the edge of town.

To his shock, Ronnie was the first to see him. She was gasping, bright red with exertion, and beads of sweat ran down her makeup-smeared cheeks. He noticed she was crying, trails of eyeliner going down her face. He ran in her direction, letting her slow, and catching her as she collapsed. He carried her to a bench and held onto her, feeling her shake as she coughed. She scrambled to her feet, and he held her up and watched as she vomited blood into the trash can. He lightly rubbed her back until she calmed, her claws digging into his arm. A dull ache spread through his arm. He sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow and helped her sit down.

"Ron, why'd you follow me?"

She slumped against him, panting hard. He stroked her neck and let her relax, knowing it was taxing on the fragile young feral to push herself that way. Gently, he lay her across his lap, "Just rest. Please."

"You're my friend" she said after a long moment of silence, "I'd do anything for you. We're supposed to stick together, Judas...and even if you're poison, I can heal."

"Your mom would kill me" Judas murmured.

She sat up against him and sighed, "You can get someone that can heal to be with..."

He held her tightly and murmured, "Sorry I cause all the shit."

"No you don't...you're my friend. I really don't mind what you do, as long as we're still cool at the end of the day."

He patted her tightly wound, bobby-pin-laced, messy hair bun, "Yeah...me too. Til the world ends, Ron."

**X**


	120. Issue 120

**Halo**

My first instinct was to find the girl in my dreams, so I did. She was perched on the space needle when I found her, looking over Seattle. She looked like she was freezing. I stepped closer and draped my shirt over her shoulders. Her wings puffed out in surprise, but she clung to it around her.

"What-?"

I sat next to her. Her wings were rich and black like mine. The feeling I got from her was purely...innocence. Grace. Gentleness. I reached out and cupped her hands in mine, trying to warm her, "I've never met another angel before."

"Who are you?" she breathed.

"Alex. Alex Howlett."

"Pistis Sophia" she whispered, "The angel of creation and wisdom."

"Oh...I'm not the angel of anything. I'm just me."

Somehow, we ended up in a McDonald's at four am, staring at each other over warm burgers and cold shakes. I was poking at the solid-feeling blister on my thumb from where I'd burned myself lighting candles a few nights earlier. Neither of us looked at each other, but after a while, she asked, "You bleed. and burn."

I nodded.

"What are you?" she asked, "You can't be an angel."

"That's what my grandfather told me when I was still an egg."

Her eyes widened, "You were born? You didn't fall from grace?"

I nodded again, "He told me I'm a mortal angel, so that's what I told my sister."

"Huh..."

For a long while, we sat there. I ate slowly, savoring my food. She didn't seem too interested in it; like she'd tasted better. From what I'd heard about heaven, she probably had, and granddad was probably vying for a burger.

I frowned. There was no logic to our meeting. Just impulse. Why was it so confusing? My mind wandered home, to video games and my pet snake, Rocky. To six am nights and when the world woke, I fell asleep for two or three hours. By all means, exhaustion should've caught up to me by now. It was most likely the inner vampire. Thinking more in depth, I realized I probably hadn't taken all of the mystic, vampire and wolf blood out of my mother's blood, just the vast majority. Maybe I'd combined it all, given her more force to her power. It was all a very difficult concept to grasp, considering I was about two weeks to a month younger than my sister, and her higher level brain function consisted of basic instinct, emotion, and that Arkadi child.

Pistis rose and walked out, leaving me to follow. She shrugged my shirt off, and the cold breeze fluttered it back to me. She started walking, and I followed.

"Sophia" I called.

She didn't turn, like she knew I'd follow. Her graceful walk turned into a dead run, and I was following relentlessly. My breaths turned to gasps as I pushed to follow her. Her wings were curled tightly against her back as we plunged through the trees. I was tempted to shoot up and fly, but suddenly, we burst from the trees and she leapt off the cliff.

Her wings unfurled delicately and she was off like a shot. With a grin, I followed suit. My plunge into the air wasn't as graceful as hers, but it sufficed. Her wings were straight, unmoving. She pointed herself forward like superman. My wings beat as I pushed forward, flying over her, shouting down, "Where are you going?"

"Wherever the wind takes me!" she shouted back. I glimpsed a smile on her face as she turned from the cold, dark water and flew back toward the trees. I laughed and followed suit. Our flight paths kept swirling around each other, keeping us in an almost dance.

I called to her, "You know eagles mate this way?"

"You don't say?" she called back, a grin on her face.

I swooped up under her and faced her, "The male and female lock talons and swing around in circles as they fly, and as they say, aim and shoot."

She laughed and shot off ahead of me, "Well not today, Dark Eagle!"

"That sounds like an Apache name!" I called back, flying to her.

The clearing near the bay came into place. I swooped down and landed. My wings curled back into my skin, away from sight. I slipped on my shirt and stood barefoot on the dock.

Sophia landed nearby, "You know this place?"

I sat down and inhaled the scent of fresh water. I sat back and allowed Sophia to join me. When my eyes opened, the clouds were turning gray.

"This is where I come to watch the sun rise."

x

The sounds of home were warm and welcome ones. It was only eight am, but Vincent and Lottie were up with the babies. We perched on the roof and listened to them sing. Lottie started off with a nice cover of Halo by Beyonce, Vincent did Boyfriend by Big Time Rush, and together, they did a duet of Memories by Panic! At The Disco.

"Your family is peaceful. Beautiful" she said absently.

I could only nod. Somehow...being with Sophia felt oddly comforting. Like I wasn't alone. The mental static was gone; I'd finally turned off my telepathy. Laying on the roof with Sophia, under the rising morning sun, I fell asleep.

**X**


	121. Issue 121

**The Truest**

_1_

"I'm gonna cry" Lottie whimpered, her eyeliner threatening to smudge. Nikki wiped her eyes and kissed her cheek, "Shh. You're beautiful."

"I'm still gonna cry" she whispered, her voice choked.

The beautiful red accented wedding dress Lottie was in fit her frame perfectly. She looked incredible.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Nikki rushed to get it. Lottie stared at herself in the mirror and smiled softly, two small tears of joy streaking down her face.

A hulking, tux-clad form stood in the door, his own sad smile on his face, "Hello white kitten."

She whipped around and began to cry harder, "Arkady!"

He went to her and wrapped her in a tight hug, murmuring, "I am here to give you away."

"You really wanted to?" she murmured, reaching to wipe her eyes. Softly, he cradled her face and stroked her cheeks gently, being careful of her makeup, "I had never thought you would ever be more beautiful than you are when you sleep, but I was wrong."

Her hands closed over his, and her throat felt tight, "Thank you. So much."

He kissed her forehead and murmured, "Anything for you. You should know that by now."

Arkady lead the way downstairs, slipping her arm delicately through his, "Are you ready?"

She looked outside and back at him, sighing happily, "I've been ready since day one."

The last fussing was done; the gathering of friends and family had been joined by the X-Men, surprisingly. It was the wedding she'd always dreamed of, on the beach in Cabo, her husband to be in fur, instead of a tux. And Vincent was giving her a wicked, playful smile that reached his love-filled eyes. For once, she couldn't even look at Arkady, not with the way Vincent's gentle amber eyes gazed into hers, as if they stole her soul.

Nikki was already crying.

x

"Where I come from, words are words, and talk is cheap, but you're the one woman in the world that proved me wrong. You always keep your word. I love you, with the kind of intensity Shakespeare can't write about, and the kind of intensity the universe can't match. I feel alive when you look at me, and that's never happened before...I can say a million things, and they all mean the same thing. I love you." Vincent kissed her hands after the beginning of his vows, "I love you so much that I can promise you; I will never lie to you. I will never hurt you. If it ever comes to it, I'll die for you. You own me, my heart, my soul and my mind. I am, always have been, and forever will be, yours. I have traversed this world for you; always searching and seeking a beautiful soul to match my animal spirit...and I have found you. Your light shines through the darkness of my shadow, and with you by my side I can overcome all obstacles in life. I will fight through heaven and hell to be with you, I will withstand any amount of pain to protect you, I will lay my life on the line to keep you safe. You are my heavenly beauty that I could never live without, you have saved me too many times to count and for that...I can only say I love you, and promise you forever."

She sniffed and tears rolled down her face, successfully smudging her eyeliner. He gently reached out and brushed the tears away, allowing her a moment to breath before she would speak.

"When I first met you, I only had dreams of a life like this. Dreams of a family, and friends, and acceptance...I'd never been looked at by a man with love or desire, but when you looked at me that first time..." she sobbed, "I loved that look. When you kissed me, I melted. In a matter of moments, you owned my heart. I love you. I will stand by your side until the day we die, loyally and wholly, and I will always belong with you. You're not just my mate, you're my soul mate. When you hold me, I feel safe. I trust you, and I hardly trust anybody. I never needed a piece of paper to believe your love, but if it's what it takes to tie myself to you in every way physically possible, then I'm glad we did this. I'm glad people can see how much I love you. You make me happy, Vincent...and I need you."

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, feeling her go to pieces in his arms. With the final words, he was told he could kiss his bride, and he softly tilted her face up to his and kissed her; a long, slow, passionate kiss that made her blood tingle in her veins. His tongue traced her lips and entered her mouth, and she whimpered submissively, clutching his shoulders as he claimed her, completely and wholly, with just one kiss.

x

The party had gone long into the night, and when they were on the plane to return home-Lottie out of her wedding dress and into a pretty white sundress, he pulled her away from everyone for a moment alone.

She moaned as his mouth traced her neck. He paused at her mark and nipped the spot tenderly a few times, running his tongue over it. She gasped and whimpered, "Please...love me..."

"When we get home. We can start our honeymoon early" he purred in her ear and nipped her earlobe, piercing it on his canine. He lapped away the bit of blood and felt her hips buck against his, "Oh god...Vinny please..."

He drew back and gazed at her with smoldering eyes. His mouth closed over hers. She moaned and arched against him, her body urging his on, and he chuckled softly against her mouth, grinding his hips into hers hard. She gasped sharply and twisted locks of his hair around her fingers, "Please...don't make me beg."

He purred softly and looked into her eyes, "I promise. Patience, my love. Just let me touch. We have forever, remember?"

She nodded and kissed his neck, "It doesn't mean I'll let you tease me for a decade."

He purred and nuzzled her, "Never. I won't tease you for long, you know how hard it is to resist you."

As his mouth closed over hers again, a scent filled her with panic. She broke their kiss and darted to the window of the plane, looking out. Her heart had been soaring, and sunk like a lead weight in the sea. She began to hyperventilate, her wrists, ankles and torso began to burn with the memory of pain. Vincent grasped her tightly and murmured soft words of reassurance to her, asking her what was wrong, but she couldn't answer, not with the smell she found so disgusting, so sickening, and so familiar so close.

Her parents had been close. She was being hunted again.


	122. Issue 122

_2_

When they exited the jet, Lottie seemed to breath easier. The immediate area surrounding the house didn't smell like them. She gathered her children and hurried inside, into the nursery and very gently, very thoroughly, cared for each in turn. Vincent watched with a frown, the scent of her fear filling the room.

His arms wrapped around her as she shut the door, having made sure the window was locked and pulled down the shade. She sunk into his arms and began to cry.

He gently scooped her off the floor and carried her to their room, sitting her down and kneeling before her, "Baby, talk to me."

"They're here" she whimpered in panic, "They're close."

"Who?"

"My parents. My mother and stepfather" she gasped. Very gently, he took both of her hands and kissed them, softly reassuring her, "I won't let anything happen to you, you know that."

She nodded. He lifted her hips and slipped off the dress, purring when he saw the lacy, bloody red lingerie under it. She blushed, "Vinny..."

"I wanna take your mind off this" he said softly, moving her into his arms and nipping her mark playfully, "and you told me not to tease you for ten years."

He was swift in removing the scraps of fabric from her skin and claiming her, her mind occupied for the moment by the feeling of his skin against hers and the warmth of his embrace. The way his body moved into hers. He groaned into her mouth, her soft whimpers in his ear bringing him closer to her. She purred and arched and they clung to each other in the throes of ecstasy.

Tenderly, he showered kisses over her face and neck, purring comfortingly soft. When she started to drift off in his arms, he kissed her neck and murmured, "We'll stay here tonight and I'll take ya to the cabin tomorrow."

She smiled softly and fell asleep, wrapped in the sheet.

x

He didn't exactly know the scents, but he knew the smell of intruders when he caught them. With a pair of cut-off sweatpants riding his hips, he was tracking the intruders with Kyle and Daken fanning out nearby. They acted as a pack, a team of three. Vincent was headed up the direct path. The scents were close, and he noticed instantly that they weren't alone.

A man and a woman were joined by a group of body-guard looking men, and one small man that looked like one of the men that would own a zoo. They spoke like Lottie, so he knew he had the right people.

He saw Kyle perched on the tree, the wicked smile playing on his face was more than enough. Daken was in position to attack, his eyes steely and his humanity turned off.

They converged like a hurricane; the big men were down first, swiftly, and the little man next. Daken had successfully taken down the woman-ripped her completely open. Kyle's claws were embedded in the final man's back, punched nearly all the way through. He let him fall and grinned at Vincent, "Safe to honeymoon, boss?"

"Yeah. Thanks. Let's go home."

x

By the time they rolled up to the cabin on the Ducati, Lottie was nipping his ear and murmuring soft, sexy things to him. He turned and scooped her up, carrying her over the threshold like he had the night before in their home. She squeaked and struggled as he locked the door, carried her into the bedroom, dropped their bags on the floor inside the door and promptly made use of the bed with her. By the time they were done, they had made their rounds through the house, and had ended on the rug in front of the fireplace, and her body was aching delightfully. She stretched out and purred as the fur-feeling rug rubbed her bare skin over, "Vinny, that was incredible."

He grinned and got up to make them some food, "Well this is what a honeymoon is, isn't it? Going off for a week or two or a month and just...having fun." He grinned suggestively as he put some steak in a pan to fry. She moaned as she shifted onto her back. He glanced to her and frowned, "Did I hurt you?"

"No...it feels good" she smiled at him. He cooked their steaks just enough to be healthy and brought her food. She sat up and smiled at him, "Thank you."

He pulled the blanket off the couch and wrapped her in it, holding her in his arms as she ate joyfully.

"I really didn't need to pack clothes" she murmured, nuzzling him, "You're just going to keep me out of them anyway."

He licked her ear playfully, "We can go out, do things, if you want."

She purred, "I like it. You've gotten to dominate nicely. You claim me so well..."

He nipped her ear softly and kissed her, "Rest a while and you get to pick, alright?"

She nodded and slipped up onto his lap, setting her empty plate aside, "Can I feed you?"

He smirked, "Sure."

She tore the steak piece by piece and fed him, earning a satisfied purr. "How can I please you my husband?"

He stroked her hair and shifted her in his arms, "Take a nap, first. Want me to massage you?"

She returned the purr and nodded. He had just begun to slip her blanket open when they smelled blood on the air. She tensed, her body bristling. Vincent growled and went to the bedroom door to grab his shorts. The lock rattled, like in a horror movie. Lottie scrambled to his side, clutching the blanket around her naked form. He pushed her behind the door, into the safety of the bedroom, and extended his claws as he opened the door.


	123. Issue 123

_3_

By all means, the man that fired the shot that hit Vincent square in the chest shouldn't have been alive. He backed up instinctively, being shot again, and noticed for the first time that the wound wasn't in any form healed. He was a dead man, whether he died now or not.

He lunged, and his vision exploded.

Lottie screamed, watching him go down with a bullet wound in his face. She was frozen in place as her stepfather's gaze focused on her. Despite his internal organs showing, blood running down his already sodden clothes, he still grinned at her. An insane grin. The grin she'd last seen the night he'd gotten drunk and beat her within an inch of her life before tossing her into the streets after nearly raping her, bringing her to a feral freedom. The memories sent tears streaming down her face as she looked between him and Vincent. The wounds were healing steadily, but there was still too short of a time gap. He dropped the gun. Lottie darted into the kitchen area; he moved surprisingly fast for a dying man and grabbed her arms. She took the handle of the butcher knife and stabbed it backwards into his torso. He shouted and dug his nails into her bare shoulders. She turned and slammed it in again, holding the blanket closed tightly. She slashed at him and threw him back against the wall, slamming the knife into him with a force she never knew she had. All that rage that had built up over the years of being a prisoner in her own home, ruining the memories of her peaceful childhood with the fear and abuse, mentally scarring her and making her fear everyone and everything.

"You _son of a bitch!_ You _horrid bastard!_ You've made my life a living hell from the time you entered it! It just kills you, doesn't it? That I have a life now, a family, a safe home where I can thrive?" He looked at her with glassy eyes, comprehending, but not able to speak. "I'm married now! I have babies, and my husband's family cares for me! You wanna know something crazy? The man you shot in the face is my husband!" She dropped the knife and started to hit him with her closed fists, the blanket tucked around her tightly, "He's the man I lost my virginity to, he's the man I love, he takes care of me, and has been nothing short of perfect the entire time I've been here! I've been more alive with him than I ever have in my life!"

Gently, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her back. There was still a bit of blood streaming down Vincent's face, but he held her and kissed her shoulder softly, "Allow me, my darling."

There was actual fear in her stepfather's face when Vincent stepped in front of her. "Just...like...her..."

Vincent's grin was twisted; a side of him she rarely ever saw had come forward. He extended his claws to the full length and purred dangerously, "She _is_ my better half."

x

With the body successfully pitched to the wolves and the blood cleaned up, Lottie leaned on the counter and felt Vincent's hands softly caressing her sides, slipping the blanket around her open.

"That was incredibly hot" he purred.

She whimpered submissively as heat danced across her skin. His touch brought a surge of desire through her, "It was, wasn't it?"

"I love a woman that can dominate when she wants to" he purred and nipped her ear. She moaned and leaned back against him. She grinned at him and purred seductively, "I have a request, then."

"Anything" he purred, showering kisses down her throat and letting the blanket slip to the floor.

"Claim me. Mark me as yours all over again if you want. Take me until I can't wash away your scent."

He wrapped his arm around her, lifting her off the floor, pinning her against the counter, "I don't want to hurt you..."

She purred, "Take me until I can't walk. You have my permission. No, let's make that a demand. I want you. There's nothing sexier than someone killing for you."

He chuckled and kissed her passionately, "I can think of a few things."

**X**


	124. Issue 124

**But Thanks For Loving Me, Cause You're Doing It Perfectly**

My heart swelled with love. Complete, total, blissful love. I watched the rising and falling of her torso as she slept. I felt the urge to write something to express my feelings for her again, but no song would ever be good enough. As she slept, I sat up and grabbed a notepad, and began to write my thoughts.

_Charlotte,_

_Yes, I gave you vows. They didn't feel like enough. I've never written a love letter before, so I feel the need to give you my first. My first of everything. I wanna tell you all the feelings I have, but I don't even think I can voice them. I really do love you with all my heart._ I glanced to her and sighed. I only had a few words that said it all. _You are my everything._

x

We returned home after two weeks. Needless to say, it was nice to come home. I swore Alex was going to bust up laughing when he saw us. A smack upside the head and he was fine. We went to unpack, and discreetly, I slipped the piece of paper onto her pillow. She unfolded it, read it, and grinned. She wrapped her arms around my neck, murmuring into my ear, "Will you shout it to the world for me?"

I leaned back and whispered into her ear, "I love you."

She looked confused, "Why did you whisper it?"

I kissed her cheek, "Because you are my world."

At first she blushed, but then she teared up. I cradled her face and pressed soft kisses over her skin. Tears raced down her cheeks, being stroked away by my hands. I kissed over her face again and purred quietly, "You're the only one that will ever hold my heart. My first and my only love."

She flat out began crying, her knees buckling. I sunk to the floor with her in my arms. Her hands went to my face, soft kisses being pressed to my lips, then softly over my jaw. She sunk into my shoulder and I held her tightly, letting her release the tears completely.

"I love you" I murmured to her, "I love you with all my soul, all my heart, all of me in existence."

She clung to me and whispered, "I love you too Vinny...so much. So fucking much."

x

I sat there on the couch with her, Conrad on my one side, Arkadi and Ronnie at my feet, Vicky on my other, and my arm around Lottie. Slade sat on her other side, cooing and trying to stab the couch.

"Your mom put Adamantium under it, didn't she?" Lottie asked, glancing away from the movie a moment to watch Slade get even more frustrated as to why the cushion just wouldn't break.

"That one, yes."

Slade wailed and yanked on the material, his claws stuck. Lottie budged to pry him free for the third time, and held him against her side. Conrad laughed. Slade tried to swipe him. Conrad was promptly put on my lap, and Vicky clung to my arm with a tiny whimper.

"Vinnie" Ronnie said, leaning back against my leg. She gave me one of those wicked smiles that convinced me she was, in fact, my blood, and bit the leg of my pants. Arkadi laughed and clapped like a seal. I shook my head.

"Can Alex age them?"

"Vincent Creed..."

"Fine..."

**X**


	125. Issue 125

**Highway to Hell**

_1_

The Triple Eight Motel; Reno, Nevada. 11:48 PM-

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, they say. Jason was crying. There was a gunfight going on again down the block; the shots were hurting Jason's ears. They were hurting mine too. His eyes were reddened and he clung to that damned bear for dear life. I had a knife shoved in my combat boot and I grabbed the nine millimeter from under my pillow.

Was Mom coming home tonight?

"Aaron I'm scared" Jason whimpered. His eyes; one deep blue, one deep green, still watered.

I pushed him toward the bathroom with the WWE backpack I'd bought him the last time we had the money, a couple months ago, back in Portland...things had changed so fast.

He scurried in and locked the door without a word.

My brother was six, I was fourteen. My mother was thirty three. We all had targets on our backs because of our name. Because of the notoriety with it.

My name is Aaron Stryker. My father's crusade made us lose our house. We couldn't afford to stay in Portland anymore. We lived with my mother's parents for a few months until they found out, and then we were kicked out. I had a lot to blame my father for. If my mother didn't come home tonight, I'd add it to the list.

Jason was a mutant; a telepath. When Dad found out, he wanted Mom to smother him. She didn't. By now I'd convinced myself I was no ordinary human. I was the son of the most hated man in the world next to Hitler, maybe if I claimed to have powers, I'd find asylum somewhere. Someone would care.

I sat inside the door with the lights off, my duffle bag at my feet, and I played AC DC in my headphones to drown out the gunfire.

When I opened my eyes, the door was still dead bolted, my gun was still in my hand, and highway to hell was playing in my ears. Rays of early morning sun were coming through the plastic-looking pink curtains. I tucked my gun away in its case and put my bag on the bed, going to get Jason. He was curled up in the bathtub again, the bear in his hands and the bag under his head. I scooped him up and carried him out to the bedroom. I checked my phone and exhaled. No new messages. We didn't have time to mourn; I had to keep us moving.

"And then there were two, buddy."

By the time I came back with McDonald's for breakfast, Jason was awake and watching cartoons on channel nine. There were tears in his eyes.

"Mama's not coming back, is she?"

"Probably not. I'm sorry."

He nodded and ate breakfast quietly. I'd been preparing him for this the whole time we'd been running. It must've been a good thing, because he finished eating and we went up to the main office to turn in the key and pay.

The car was gone. We were gonna have to rough it. Hitching was too risky. That also meant what cash I had was the end of it; we were gonna be sleeping on the streets if we wanted to eat.

Fine with me. Not so fine with Jason.

x

"Thirty eight bottles of pop on the wall, thirty eight bottles of pop, take one down, pass it around, thirty seven bottles of pop on the wall. Thirty seven bottles of pop on the wall, thirty seven bottles of pop, take one down, pass it around, thirty six bottles of pop on the wall. Thirty six bottles of pop on the wall, thirty six bottles of pop, take one down, pass it around-"

"Jason, please" I said. My head was throbbing. I passed him my phone to watch some wrestling videos so he wouldn't sing the damned song anymore. We had three more hours on the Greyhound to San Francisco. I only hoped the X-Men were still there.

x

"You're horrible."

Logan glanced up from his bike to see her polishing the sleek Corvette and shook his head, "So speaks the woman that breaths and I lose twenty bucks."

She threw a dirty rag at him and he caught it with a laugh, "I love you darling."

She smirked at him, "and I, you."

As she walked away from the car, he kicked the hose. It sprang to life at her feet and earned a shriek of shock. She grabbed it and turned it off, sopping wet. She turned and glared at him, "That wasn't funny!"

He smirked and gazed over her wet shirt, "It is nice, though."

"Pervert" she muttered and stripped off the green t-shirt, tossing it over the work table.

"Hey Logan-yow, okay, leaving before I interrupt something..." Jubilee said, barely stepping through the door.

"It's fine, honey" Nikki said, turning toward Logan with a grin, "He was just getting me wet."

"Oh god" Jubilee cringed, "I'm leaving."

"With the hose" Logan said, staring at her bra-encased breasts as she leaned back over the Corvette and polished the headlights. Jubilee stayed in the door, "And you're gonna drool. I think I should just come back later."

"What's up Juby?" Nikki said, glancing back up. The young woman rolled her eyes, "If you bend over anymore, your boobs are going to fall out of that thing."

Nikki dissolved into giggles, standing up and grabbing her wet t-shirt to put back on. When she'd done so, Jubilee leaned on the door frame, more relaxed, "There are a couple of kids in the lobby, Nikki. One says he knows you."

"Any other affairs I should know about?" Logan teased.

"Do you know where he's from?" she asked.

"He said he knows Vincent."

When she entered, I'd never seen a more shocked look on someone's face. I looked at her with the beginnings of a blush creeping over my cheeks, "Hi Miss Nikki."

"Aaron Stryker."

"Stryker?" Jubilee yelled. I looked toward the ground. There was pure and utter rage in her eyes as she balled her fists, "He used to beat up my son."

The memories of a time long past filled my mind. I actually felt myself start to cry as I looked back up at her, "Please Missus Howlett, we need your help."

For the first time, she noticed Jason. He clung to my side and gazed at her. My chest tightened. Her gaze softened. She uncurled her fists, and I noticed the new set of claws that I hadn't seen on the news.

"Talk."


	126. Issue 126

_2_

Alex was livid. Even despite the child next to his side, my brother was fuming. Lottie didn't get the story, she didn't know. I stayed in my chair, watching Aaron with the closeness of a lion about to strike. His little brother Jason was panicking, and with good reason. I was sure the older Stryker had corrupted his mind enough before they'd been forced to run. He knew not to get angels angry.

Alex, as much of a robot as he was, was a drama queen.

"I killed you! Do you have any idea what this is going to do to our futures? Do you know that now, everything has been set the wrong way?"

"Calm down" I said. It wasn't calm. It wasn't livid. It was cold. Ice-fucking-cold. Alex spun on his heel and shouted in a little boy temper tantrum, "CALM DOWN? Our mother will die, you will die, our whole family is going to end up in a living hell! Your wife will die, do you understand that?"

I shot up and cracked him across the face. He whimpered and slunk back. There was a literal hand print across his face, and a look of surprise on Aaron's face. My mother looked even more shocked than him. I turned to him. There was so much temptation to continue beating him within an inch of his life; there was fear in his grayish-blue eyes. I forced myself to look at his little brother. The green/blue eyed boy looked terrified. He was wearing a WWE shirt. I knelt down beside him and said, "You a Triple H fan, kid?"

"Randy Orton" he murmured.

I sighed and rose, glancing to Lottie. She came to stand by me and offered the little boy her hands, "Are you hungry sweetheart?"

He nodded. She glanced to me with a look that told me I had a lot of explaining to do. I nodded, and blessedly, they dispersed and left me with a good shot at revenge.

Aaron looked at the floor and murmured, "You're gonna kill me, aren't you?"

"Get up" I said.

He did and met me face to face. "I just wanna know why."

He swallowed. His eyes were tearing. His lip trembled, imperceptible to anyone else. "I thought it was right. I believed my dad and I was wrong. I'm sorry. Just...please make sure Jason gets someone that'll take really good care of him. It's just us now."

He hung his head, and the salt of his tears scented the air. I was gritting my teeth, but I relaxed a bit and reached out to him, "Your brother's a mutant. You're allowed on Nation X by default. But if you're lying to me-" I leaned in and growled in his ear, so no one could listen, "I will make you pay."

x

"You didn't kill him."

I glanced at her fresh-out-of-the-bath form as she walked over to bed and climbed in with me, curling up and kissing my chest. I stroked her damp hair as her head nuzzled under my chin, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Everybody deserves a second chance" I murmured, stroking down her back in the shirt she'd "borrowed" to wear. She purred contently and murmured after a long moment, "Did my parents?"

"No. Nobody who hurts you gets a second chance" I said with an edge to my voice, "You mean too much to me to put you at risk."

"If I kill him, will you be angry with me?"

I sat up and looked at the innocent expression on her face. She bit her lip as innocence turned to playfulness, "So you would mind."

"It's just not like you" I murmured. She frowned and climbed up my chest, "Protecting you?"

"Killing someone."

The shirt slid up her legs as she climbed over my waist and proceeded to sit there, the feeling of her soft, cotton underwear on the bare part of my legs almost too much to bear. My arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned all the way back, purring softly, "Come here."

She knew I couldn't resist; I climbed over her and purred as I nipped the exposed skin of her throat. My hips brushed hers, the soft scent of her arousal filling the air. I slipped the shirt off and looked at her, "It's my job to protect you. To take care of you. I am your mate, and I'll make sure that as long as I'm alive you'll never lift a finger for me."

She stroked my face as I kissed down her collarbone, "I just lifted five."

I purred and nipped her mark, hearing her gasp. She shuddered. I stroked her body over and kissed her passionately, pinning her pretty form to the bed. She whimpered into the kiss, her lips parting to allow my tongue entrance. I rubbed against her until she was grinding back, her claws digging into my shoulders as whimpers of need slipped from her. I kissed down her throat and purred in her ear, "You are my wife...the mother of my children. The only job you have is to be happy."

"I am" she murmured, kissing back, "I always have been with you."

"Then that's all. Don't worry. I've got it handled" Softly, I took her hands and kissed her wrists, her palms, and each fingertip. She blushed; despite being together, having children, being married, she was still shy about how I worshipped her. Then, very gently, she proved me she wasn't.

x

The sun beat down on our faces. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it was bright. My fingertips stroked her stomach and she giggled, "Oi, that tickles."

I nipped her ear playfully, "Good." I tickled her mercilessly until she flailed and smacked my hands, "Okay! I'm up, I'm up!"

I kissed her softly a few times until she slid out of bed, her leopard spots seeming to shimmer in the morning light. I purred and sat up, looking at her, admiring as she stretched and purred. She turned, picking up the shirt and slipping it on, "Breakfast, hubby dear?"

I reached out and grasped her hips, yanking her onto my body. She gasped and whimpered, her eyes wide, "Vinny..."

I grinned at her and kissed her lips lightly, "My usual love." I patted her cotton-covered rear as she climbed back out of bed, shot me a glance, her cheeks slowly turning bright pink, and she scurried out before I could pull her back into bed.

My phone already had messages. I exhaled and checked them. The first one was crap, the second was Megan being Megan, talking too fast to understand, and the final, Aaron.

"Jason misses you guys...and y'know, if you ever wanted to hang out...I'm sorry. What am I doing? You'll probably delete this anyway so let me just stop talking..."

I thought that over for a minute, and then decided, it was high time to surprise somebody.


	127. Issue 127

_3_

The two boys walked down San Francisco's street, Aaron's hands in his pockets. The light wind ruffled Vincent's hair.

"It's going to storm something fierce" Vincent commented as they walked toward the bookstore Aaron had wanted to go to.

"Yeah...I've never seen street lights so bright like that. Do they get hurricanes here?"

"Probably not."

The churning black sky suddenly produced a crack of lightning that was audible to the human ears, and a boom of thunder that physically shook the building.

"Then again, I could be wrong..."

"Maybe this was a bad idea...we could come back some other time..." His hand rested on the door, his fingers partially curled around the handle. The sudden torrential downpour proved him right. They glanced to each other and Vincent motioned for him to go inside, "We can at least wait it out."

He walked around and glanced books over, picking up interesting looking ones and reading the first few pages. Vincent sat cross-legged on the floor, observing silently as Aaron slunk down against the bookshelf with a thick novel and suddenly became enthralled with it.

"You want it?"

The words woke him from the stupor he'd gone into, "What?"

"The book. If you want it, I can get it for you."

"Uh...thanks. Sure. It's cool, so Jason might like it too..."

After checking out, Aaron walked back to Vincent, sticking the bag around his arm and inside his sweatshirt, pulling up the hood, "Y' wanna...?"

Without answering, Vincent headed out, followed by his human counterpart. Thunder crashed and lightning lit up the dark, pouring rain. They broke into a run down the highway, Aaron yelping as he tripped off the curb.

Vincent turned in time to see headlights through the pouring rain. He ran to him and pulled him off the street. He expected there to be a railing when they hit the other sidewalk, but a torrent of water hit them instead. Coughing and sputtering, both boys fell back against the pavement. Another wave crashed. There was a crack as the support gave way over the bay and they were physically swept back onto the street.

"Why isn't storm calming this down?"

Vincent grabbed his hand, unanswering, and sprinted for the bridge. They made it halfway across before a cable snapped as a wave crashed over it.

The traffic halted, and both were separated. Vincent jumped up, soaked with water, and rushed to Aaron. The other boy's temple was bleeding, crumpled back against the trunk of a sedan.

"Aaron? Get up! Come on, we gotta get to Nation X, then you can cop out on me!"

His face was quickly losing color, and his lips took on a blue tint. Acting on instinct, he listened for a pulse that struggled to beat. The rain was washing the blood in a river down Aaron's face, tinting his cheek a sticky red. He pushed down on his once-enemy's chest, compressing over and over. He watched his head roll to the side, his thoughts filling with panic, "Dammit Aaron, don't you die on me!" He punched him in the chest, hard.

Aaron coughed. His eyes cracked open. He stared up at him with dazed, glassy eyes, blinking quickly. His eyes focused and he wiped the blood from his head wound away, whimpering quietly, "Vince? Oh shit...am I okay?"

"You will be."

x

Jason was curled under Aaron's arm in the bed in the med bay, his brother's form seeming to protect him from the rest of the world. Vincent watched closely as the set of gray-blue eyes focused on him and a light smile crossed his face. He found himself smiling back and walked away.

x

The moment I got ahold of him, he knew he was in for it. I hit him, putting volume in the yell, "YOU MORON! I can't believe you risked your life for him?" I wasn't punching gently either. He grabbed my arms and yelled, "Okay! I get it!"

"No you don't get it! I was scared to death! Do you think that counts as _worth it_ to me?"

He pulled me close by my arms. I looked at his intense gaze and whimpered, lowering my face in submission, "I'm sorry..."

Softly, he tilted my face and stroked his thumb over my lower lip. He brought me close and murmured, "Don't apologize. I love you too. I feel the same way." His lips replaced his thumb, his kiss instantly bringing me to forgive the worry. I whimpered weakly, feeling his hands stroke over my body. My lips parted to allow him to deepen the kiss; he did without hesitation, his mouth claiming my own.

I felt like I was in heat as he released me, his arms holding me from utter collapse. The feeling of his hard muscle against my body was almost too much. I whimpered. "Vinny..."

He grinned, "One thing."

I nodded eagerly. His gentle groping began as the heat burned in my blood. He murmured in my ear, "I love you, my goddess. Know that always."

I nodded and whispered, "Mine."

"Always yours."

**X**


	128. Issue 128

**The Firstborn Son**

_1_

She turned, and her whole body ached pleasantly. She buried her face into his chest and purred quietly, feeling him stir slightly.

"Morning baby" he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Her eyes still felt heavy as she curled up to him, a gentle throbbing starting in the bruise on her thigh. He noticed, frowned and leaned up to lay her on her back and softly kiss it. She whimpered, "Vince...baby..."

"Sorry" he murmured.

She bolted upright and held her stomach, "No, not that..." She raced to the bathroom and the door slammed. He jumped, listening closely as she threw up, and followed close after. She was brushing her teeth when he entered and stared at her, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and glanced back to him, "Yeah...it just came on in a rush..." She smoothed her hand over her stomach and sighed. Vincent's eyes flew open at the same moment hers did.

"No."

"I think-"

"No."

"Baby-"

"VINCENT CREED IF I'M PREGNANT AGAIN..." the threat fell short. Her hands flew over her stomach. She looked at him, "Am I pregnant again?" Her tone became full of joy, "_We're_ gonna have a baby. Us. Our baby. _Your_ baby." Her hands shook as she stroked over her stomach. He moved toward her in awe, reaching out and tenderly holding her around the waist. He leaned in and sniffed, his eyes wide. She giggled and stroked his arms, "You can't smell it this early..."

He looked at her and held her in his arms, his fingertips slipping over her bare stomach, "Are we really going to have a baby?"

She nodded and bit her lip, "I think so. I've never gotten sick otherwise..." She caught the emotional turmoil in his scent. He was overjoyed, but terrified. His heart was hammering in his chest and swelling with joy. He stroked his fingertips over her stomach and dropped to his knees, pressing soft kisses to her skin, "Oh my god baby...I'm really gonna be a father...biologically, I'm going to be a father..."

Lottie smiled and stroked his hair, "Good thing you've had some practice so far, huh?"

He nodded and nuzzled her skin. If she hadn't felt it, she would've never known two tears of joy rolled down his face and onto her skin.

x

"What's it say?" he asked for the near hundredth time.

"Give it a minute" she said. She exhaled, "Third positive in a row. I'm definitely pregnant."

"Are you sure?" he asked, not wanting to get his hopes up unless he was entirely sure.

"Unless the whole box is false positives, yes, I'm sure" she said with a laugh. He leaned on the wall and grinned, joined by her after a moment. He slipped an arm around her waist, grinning at her as they went downstairs.

Kyle took one look at the blissfully happy couple and said, "She's pregnant."

For a moment, the entire room went silent. Lottie turned bright pink. Vincent's expression was somewhere between sheepish and delighted.

"I'm the grandma of my best friend's baby. Holy fuck" Nikki broke the silence after a moment, and both female squeaked and rushed to each other, embracing tightly, but gently. Vincent turned pink.

"Here we go again" Lester murmured quietly, rolling his eyes as Lottie and Vincent kissed softly and tenderly, his hand softly pressing to her stomach.


	129. Issue 129

_2_

At five months pregnant, Lottie's stomach was swollen with their child and glowing with pride. Vincent's fingers were slipped through hers as they observed their baby on the monitor Hank tilted toward them.

"He's perfectly healthy and seems to have an active healing factor" Hank said, "It's very rare such mutations manifest at birth, but in both of your cases-"

"They did" Vincent finished for him, his hand slipping to the free curve of her stomach, away from the ultrasound, and gently rubbed it. The baby kicked against his hand, and both saw the movement on the screen. Lottie smiled and rested her head back, feeling Vincent's soft touch.

"As for the pains, they should lessen with time" Hank said, "He's perfectly healthy. It's mostly his claws."

She nodded and glanced to the screen, "He's a boy?"

"Yes." Hank shut off the program and moved away. Vincent softly rubbed his hand over the full curve of her stomach, lowering his lips to it gently. She purred and murmured, "Thank you Vinny."

Hank came back and handed her a bottle of asprin, smiling, "and this will help."

x

Of course, with the arrangement of the house, Vicky and Tayla had already moved in together and Conrad and Slade had their own room, as well as Arkadi and Ronnie, who'd taken to each other faster than glue and glitter. Besides Vinnie, Ronnie was now saying Arka, which delighted her little boyfriend.

and the subject of the house's arrangement allowed Kai his own room. Which Lottie was designing. Cans of paint were already in the car, and Lottie was agreeing with the black wrought iron crib that would serve as the baby's sleeping place. She frowned and rubbed her stomach softly, "I wanna move him into Arkady's old room. The red seems suiting...to go with this..."

Vincent nodded and softly stroked her face. The black, red and gold theme that she'd gone with for the room seemed to fit. He was willing to give her anything; this especially.

"We really need to explain to Alex that my baby isn't...y'know."

"Just a mutant."

"Exactly. Your brother's a bit of a robot..."

"I know."

When Arkadi had been born, Vincent had gotten him a purple bunny. Vicky, Conrad and Slade had all gotten bears, two blue, one pink. As Lottie ran to the bathroom quickly, Vincent went to get Kai a present. A present that turned out to be a glassy-eyed tiger.

x

Alex slid across the floor in his desk chair, tinkering on a pair of biotech spiders. His snake; an anaconda named Rocky, watched observantly, as if interested.

On the screen, Alex's friend, who was very clearly interested in him, told him things that every so often, he would reply to. He was thrown into his work.

Vincent came up beside the desk and clicked off the webcam. Alex didn't seem to notice when Vincent closed out the window of video-chat until he said, "Thank you. She just doesn't stop on this love stuff."

"We need to talk."

"Yes, we do." He looked up, "Apparently, when I tried to contact my future self, the future has been erased. Both of them. There's no...key plan anymore. Aaron Stryker can live, but he has to know should I find out he is the cause of anything in the time stream-"

"Shut up" Vincent said, spinning him in the chair, taking the spider and putting it on the table, "You're talking about my son like he isn't a person. In fact, you do that with everyone."

"What am I supposed to do about that, Vincent? My soul mate isn't even born yet. Sophia and Liz are great friends, but..."

His hands clamped down on Alex's shoulders. His hot breath on the young man's neck physically terrified him. "You are going to learn to relax, because so help me Alex...I will fix your brain by tearing it out through your ear."

"That's physically impossible" Alex murmured slowly.

"Try me" Vincent growled and released him.

x

Despite Nikki's prompting, Alex had gone out that night. He flew over the skies until he saw the black-winged woman sitting near the Hudson bay.

Her wings fluttered delicately as he landed, her gaze on him, "What's going on?"

He was silent as he walked up to her, bare chested and bare foot. His shaggy hair fell over his face; he'd aged himself again, from seventeen to twenty, his intense gaze burning into hers.

She rose, feeling the instinct to. He stopped before her, his wings out as well. They curled around her like a shield as he took her face in his hands, "I definitely feel a sin about to happen."

Her cheeks turned bright pink. Her lips trembled. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, and surprisingly, she didn't protest. Slowly, he deepened their kiss and untied her green dress-the replacement from the clothes she'd worn upon her arrival to earth. His tongue swept across her lower lip and into her mouth, drawing a low moan from her.

Snow began to swirl around the earthbound angels, but neither noticed as they gave into the most basic of human passions, tainting each other's purity in the process.

Sophia trembled as he held her against the growing snow, brightened slightly by the rising sun. Her body sang with heat and tingled with frostbite. Alex's mouth softly claimed hers as he eased away from her, hearing her whimper as just a bit of pain washed over her. She grasped him and murmured, "Again."

He rubbed his hands over her skin after slipping his pants back on. He wrapped her in her dress and murmured, "When I take you home, I'll get us some wine."

"And then?" She looked at him with innocence, clearly unused to seduction of any kind. He leaned in and murmured in her ear, "We shall drink some wine."

x

Alex's body covered Sophia's, warming her from the cold as they kissed. He massaged the feeling back into her skin and drew soft moans of delight from the angelic female's lips. He gazed at her through the throes of passion once more, sudden feeling burning deep in his chest. Her tears stained the pillow softly as he caressed her face, listening to her whimpers.

"What's wrong?"

"It felt...so horrible...and so good at the same time...I've never felt such...euphoria" she gasped through sobs.

"I'm sorry it hurts" he murmured, kissing her neck, "The more love we make, the better you'll feel."

Her body arched up to his, the feeling of the action drawing a moan from him, "Sophia...I may just have to put my bed to actual use tonight."

"Please, do...for me."

x

Alex lead Sophia downstairs in the morning, though she was walking a bit funny. Lottie and Vincent took one look at them and busted up laughing, just like he had when they'd returned home from their honeymoon. Both turned bright, livid pink, and sunk into their chairs.


	130. Issue 130

_3_

Despite the pain killer, Lottie's soft whimpers of pain filled the room. Her skin was feverish and beads of sweat slipped down her forehead. She clutched her stomach as the baby ripped her open from the inside. Vicky, Conrad, Slade and Arkadi had all looked their mutations, but their healing factors hadn't yet developed. The way their baby had been tearing her apart for hours, they knew his had.

She screamed and began to cry as a particularly sharp pain hit her. Vincent held her and rubbed her arms, cradling her against his chest. He helped her stand on shaky feet to get to her painkillers, when it happened.

Her water broke suddenly, an agonized scream coming from her. She sunk to her knees and he to her side.

Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She looked to him desperately, whimpering, "Help him." She clung to his arm and screamed, "Vincent, _help him!_"

Very gently, he lay her back on the floor and looked at her, holding her face. He gave her a tender kiss; his mind called to Alex as loudly as possible.

Sophia's wings were open, fluttering every so often against his chest. Alex blinked awake and nuzzled into her throat, murmuring, "Restless wings?"

She moaned softly as they folded against her back, "Sorry. I had a dream..."

"Oh? What about?"

She turned and kissed him softly, pulling him onto her, when he winced and jumped up, yanking on his shorts and racing to Vincent and Lottie's room. A rush of mental static was hitting him; Vincent's panic, Lottie's pain, and _the baby,_ terrified and suffering. Sophia slipped on her dress and followed.

Alex knelt near her, and Lottie grasped his hand, murmuring, "Please...help him..."

He closed his eyes and felt the baby there. He was about to age him when Sophia moved him, "Allow me."

Her hands rested on Lottie's stomach and slowly, the pain faded, as did the baby's panic. Her body stitched back together, and she went limp in Vincent's arms with exhaustion.

"It's a side effect, unfortunately. She's healed, but her need for sleep caught up with her."

"And the baby?" Vincent asked.

"Perfectly fine" Sophia murmured, rubbing the curve of Lottie's stomach, "He's healthy and strong and beautiful. He won't be hurting his mother any time soon, either. I reinforced her body with my remaining power, so she'll be fine and carry him to term."

Vincent nodded, exhaling softly. Alex glanced at Sophia as if seeing her for the first time. They were, quite simply, polar opposites. He had turned off his emotions to wait for his soul mate; she was pure, raw emotion. All desire, joy, and sorrow. He hardly believed she was capable of rage. He felt like a robot, and she...she was a saint, most likely. Part of him felt quite glad to be the man that made the saint a sinner.

He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. Vincent took Lottie to bed and softly, Sophia slipped her hand into his.

x

As an angel, Sophia had never been prone to mortal problems, but when a month had passed in the house and suddenly she began to ache, she knew something was wrong. The ache slowly built until it became excruciating. She doubled over on the grass where she'd stood, blood starting to soak her legs and the clothes she wore. She became lightheaded quickly and dropped to the grass, her wings trying to flutter.

She found herself in another, gray land, before the angel that had once been her superior.

"Pistis...why?"

She looked at him, the cold returning, "What do you mean?"

"You're smarter than that! You allowed a mortal to taint you, you fell pregnant with his child."

She clasped her hands over her stomach and looked at him, sudden pain stabbing her chest, "No...no please...let me keep my baby, please!"

"I am sorry, Pistis Sophia...my hands are tied."

"Sophia? Sophia!" Alex yelled, shaking her. She opened her eyes. His white shirt was soaked through, his black jeans soaking up the rain water. His raven hair was slicked and soaked, and the distant sound of thunder and crackling of lightning accompanied the rain on her face.

She whimpered in the biting cold. He took her hand and kissed it. Very softly, she sat up and felt the stabbing pain. She stood, clinging to him for support, her body shaking violently. A splash of blood hit the grass, and she fell unconscious in his arms once more.

x

Alex wept into his hands, a deep depression setting in. Sophia was in Doctor McCoy's care, and he knew. He wept not for the sudden surge of deep-rooted compassion burning in his heart for Sophia, or the bond they had, or his failure to protect her. He wept for the life of the child they would've had; the life that child would've had.

Alex the angel had finally fallen from grace.


	131. Issue 131

_4_

"I had a dream, and we were in Venice" Lottie murmured as she curled into Vincent's chest, "In those boats that travel down the waterways...and with all the beauty around us, you still didn't take your eyes off me..."

"I wouldn't." He nuzzled her, "Wanna go there?"

"Maybe not yet...when the kids are older" she murmured. He rubbed her back and began to speak softly in her ear, "She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below; A heart whose love is innocent."

"Always telling me love poetry" she murmured, nuzzling his chest, her eyes closing slowly.

Gently, he stroked her hair until she was asleep, and softly began to rub her stomach. Equally as gently, he caressed her face and murmured, "I love you, and our son."

x

Sophia seemed almost catatonic. Nikki placed a teacup in front of her and with a soft touch, brought her from her thoughts.

Sophia looked shattered, a feeling the other woman knew very well. She gently wrapped Sophia in a blanket and watched as the angel took her tea, cradling the cup in her hands.

"I know how you feel" Nikki murmured, wistful sadness in her voice.

"How? I'm the angel of creation and wisdom...what I created in a moment of a lack of wisdom has been destroyed...my child. My blood."

There was an infinate amount of pain in her eyes as she took the young angel's hands after she'd set down her teacup. They didn't meet gazes, though Sophia watched her with an intense stare.

"I believed my first child dead for almost eighty years. He was killed...such a short time after I'd met him. I had...other children. I had adopted other children, as well. They were killed between two men. I made sure to kill both of them, believe me. I've held my dying child in my arms before. I've seen the light leave the eyes of one of my kin. Believe me. There is no greater pain than losing someone, but it's magnified tenfold when it's one's child. It dulls with time, of course, but it never truly goes away. I've learned to shut it off."

"How?" Sophia breathed, as if it were godsend.

"I detatch my heart. Go by instinct. It's a simple thing. I could live my entire life by it."

Sophia shook her head slowly, "I can't."

Nikki nodded slowly and murmured, "Neither can I."

x

It hadn't stopped raining since Sophia's miscarriage. Alex thought, bitterly, the heavens were weeping for the angels. Alex was fed up. He stepped outside in the rain, and slipped his wings through the slashes in the back of his open shirt. As he went down the hill, he built momentum from a walk to a run, and launched himself into the sky. The clouds churned violently as he became nearly instantly soaked, all over again.

"Why?" he yelled into the sky, "Sophia is pure, what ever could she have done to deserve this?"

A rumble of thunder was his only answer.

"I don't want to be an angel! Fuck destiny, fuck fate, I'll do what I want to do now! _I_ am the holder of my fate, _I_ am the creator of my destiny, and I refuse to let _anyone_ control me! I AM WHAT I AM! I AM MY OWN MASTER! I AM NOT AN ANGEL, I AM A _MAN_!"

The sky boomed and lightning cracked. A sharp, jagged pain ripped into Alex's wing, and he turned to see a black bird, a mouse hanging from one talon, the other had sharply scratched from one end of his wing to the other. He was in too much pain to fly, and tumbled to the earth. He managed to land on the grass and scrape his knees and elbows, but not too badly. A soft whine escaped him as he stood, the rain stinging the open wound. He limped a bit as he climbed the hill back toward the house, blood staining his shirt, he glanced back. Slowly, the rain faded into a calm, gloomy day.


	132. Issue 132

_5_

The silence was enough to tip the returning ferals that something was wrong. Vincent took off for the house, scenting, and caught it. He busted through the back door and hardly missed a beat rushing to her side. Lottie was healing at a crawl, her soft violet eyes blinking open.

Vincent stroked her face tenderly, "What happened?"

Tears spilled down her face, "Claudine..." She twitched like she wanted to move, and sobbed softly, "She has him..."

Daken was frozen in the doorway, most likely realizing this was exactly how he'd been taken from his mother. Her violent death had turned him against his father. He blinked and spoke to Vincent, "I'm coming with you. Lester can stay with her."

Vincent stroked her face slowly, thinking. Lottie turned her cheek into his hand and kissed his palm like he had to her, "Go get our baby boy...please."

x

_I'm going to kill her. Slowly. I don't care if Daken still has feelings for that...thing...She touched my mate, my son, if he's hurt, I'll make sure she pays...even more violently than now._

Daken was frowning into his hands as Vincent broke his thoughts to look around the inside of the jet. Alex and Kyle had joined the two, just in case. He'd been shocked to see Alex turning off his logic in favor of following his heart. It was a pleasant surprise.

"You're making that too tight on the wrist." He took Alex's hand gently and wrapped his arm for him.

"We're ageless, aren't we really?" Alex asked with a glance to his brother, "We're both immortal. You know?"

"Yeah. But I'm still older."

Alex quirked a smile and allowed Vincent to wrap his other arm, "Yeah."

"Almost ready boys and lady boy?"

"Fuck you Kyle" Daken shot back.

"I'm not dropping the soap anytime soon, thanks."

"No, but you are watching RuPaul."

Alex contained a smile as Vincent watched with a cynical silence. As the plane touched down, the playful joking stopped and all four males descended into Nation X. Utopia looked as if it had been placed in a psychic coma, just like the house...

"She wanted us to come after her" Kyle murmured.

Alex took to the sky to loop around overhead as Vincent scented the air and charged in after her.

"We have no plan!" Kyle called after him.

"I don't need a plan, I do things the Creed way!"

The building was death silent. The sub-level gave way to the strength of the scents and a child's soft coo. The breathing was coming labored. Vincent stopped in the door and saw the extremely tiny baby cradled in the crook of Claudine's arm.

The child had very wispy white hair and closed eyes, his tiny body shying against his captor to shield himself from the cold. His healing factor was strong, that much was obvious. He was going to stay alive, he had to.

"Beautiful, isn't he?"

"Put him down and walk away before I hang you from the ceiling by your small intestine" Vincent snarled.

"Such a small little baby...he might do better than Daken's..."

He heard the sudden stammer in a heartbeat behind him. Daken was close. He watched for the opening, and he took it. A lunge, a spin, the baby was in his arms and Claudine let out a cry as her arm was twisted and broken. He backed off; the other two could handle it. He wrapped the baby tightly in his arms and watched as the eyes softly opened. They were wide, like little planets, and so very trusting...and very gently, Vincent tucked his head into his throat and began a soft soothing purr to lull his son to sleep.

x

Lottie smiled as she cradled her baby boy. With Alex's help, he had been aged to the point of his healing factor sustaining him, and very, very gently, he cuddled under his mother's neck and fell asleep quickly.

"Why did she want him?"

Vincent curled his body around them both, and Lottie shifted so their son was between them, both of their bodies pressed to Vincent's. He kissed her head and stroked their son's tiny hand, "She killed Daken's kids...so he killed her."

She exhaled and murmured, "Poor Daken..."

"Yeah." He wrapped his arm tightly around them both and murmured, "You need rest. I'm here. Wake me if you need anything."

She softly kissed his chest and nuzzled into him, "Okay...but I wanna name him Kai."

"Kai?"

"Kai. It suits him."

"Kai it is."

Kyle sat with Vicky, having heard the little girl awake for the ten minutes prior, and deciding going to calm her back to rest was a better idea than letting her wake Vincent and Lottie.

The soft, odd looking eyes of the little girl before him as she cooed and pulled on a lock of his hair, giggling and smiling a wide, toothless smile. Her eyes looked like they were changing color.

"Evil and adorable" Kyle laughed, "I think I like you kid."

She promptly grabbed hold of his ear and pulled on one of his few remaining piercings. He yelped, and she laughed until tiny tears rolled down her cheeks. He wiped them away and let her chew on his finger, watching as the soft lock of blond hair fell over onto his skin. She yawned and kept his finger in her mouth, laying on his chest and quickly falling asleep.

Without disturbing her, Kyle kicked up his feet and held her on his chest, letting her sleep.

**X**


	133. Issue 133

**Tokyo Nights**

_1_

In the wake of what had happened months ago, for all intents and purposes, Japan was back on its feet, and that meant the scheduled yearly events would continue as planned. It was time to visit Mariko and Itsu's graves. Normally, he would've gone without me. This time, we had backup at home, so we could go together.

The last time I went to Japan that was really eventful, I had to exorcize a bunch of demons and ghosts.

We pulled into the Yashida compound on his chopper. I couldn't help but cop a soft feel along his abs, earning a soft chuckle from my husband and a soft kiss over his shoulder. He dismounted, and I went with. Mariko deserved to see that I respected her and most certainly cherished her decision to cross over without him.

All that aside, once I'd paid my respects to her, I allowed Logan a moment alone. He couldn't say everything he'd like to in front of me, I was sure. I wandered the edge of the house, glancing over the garden. My fingertips trailed along one of the supports and came away sticky. I wrinkled my nose and brought my hand away. Blood. _Oh fuck! Why is it always HERE?_

A throwing star clipped my shoulder. I jumped back and spun, my claws bursting out from the backs of my hands to deflect the next star. I expected AIM, The Hand, Hydra even, but one lone, black-clad, golden-dragon-imprinted-on-his-outfit ninja was not what I saw coming. The Black Dragon was a Chinatown gang, they weren't international-at least, so far as I knew. He spun as I parried his attack. The nine headed dragon. _All KINDS of fuck!_ The head branch of the Yakuza. Wonderful. They _still_ hated us.

I missed one shot. Something struck me in the face hard, I couldn't see if it was hand, foot or weapon. I went down. It was all the time he needed. A piercing pain hit my shoulder, just barely missing where it could've impaled me. I reached around to grasp it and flung it into him. The cloaked eyes widened in shock. He fell forward and impaled himself completely on the sai.

I walked back Logan's way. He was just sheathing his claws.

"You alright babe?" he slipped an arm around me and tenderly touched the wound. I nuzzled him softly, "Fine. Confess all your secrets to Mariko?"

"Yeah. And still had enough time to take care of that. Who's training these kids?"

"The Yakuza has lowered their standards, apparently."

x

I brushed my hair after a shower, my silk kimono taking very few of the water drops onto it. I stood and smoothed it out, twirling around lightly. Part of me still reacted like a little girl to these beautiful things; this beautiful place, too. I set my brush back in my bag and tucked it into the dresser before walking over to the balcony. Tokyo was bustling below, music pulsing from the clubs blocks away. I longed to go shopping and dance among people who would most definitely accept me.

"Tomorrow" he murmured into my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist. I purred softly, leaning back into his grasp, "I love you."

He smiled, tilting my chin toward him. Very tenderly, he kissed me; the kiss quickly turned passionate. He scooped me into his arms and carried me to bed, despite my giggling protests. We successfully dropped onto the bed, his tender kisses traveling my neck, his caress slipping from my shoulders down my arms until he held both of my hands against the bed, my fingers locked with his. Softly, he kissed me again. I pushed on him, whining quietly when he didn't give, "Tease."

He chuckled as he released my hands. He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him, kissing me with much more heat behind it. I caressed his shoulder as I slipped my other hand into his hair, utterly melting at the touch.

"Logan" I whimpered between kisses, his thigh softly rubbing between mine, "Please...I need you..."

He had just barely started to untie the kimono when the sound of gunfire came from outside. He perked up. I whimpered and pulled him back to me, "Just let it go. We can't do everything you know."

He looked at me. There was a little bit of pleading in his eyes. I rolled mine, "You better be sure you can make that up to me. A lot."

He softly kissed me, "I will baby. Give me ten minutes."

I rolled my eyes and followed him back to the balcony, the heat still pulsing in my veins. He grinned as he glanced back to me, "Make that five." His claws extended as he jumped, and I couldn't help but grin back, "That is so hot."

x

When I finally glanced up at the clock, it was about One PM. My hips throbbed with faded bruises from the night, and morning, before. It felt fabulous. I curled into him and lightly kissed his chest. He exhaled and nuzzled me softly, "Mornin' darlin'."

I nuzzled back, "Sleep well?"

He grinned playfully, "Like a brick. A thoroughly satisfied brick."

I blushed and he chuckled, caressing my sides. His nose gently nudged mine, and mine to his. A soft purr burst from between my lips. He chuckled softly, "You know what that does to me."

"Everything I do does something to you" I teased.

"You're right" he nipped my lower lip. I squeaked. He laughed. "Shouldn't we go? It's a pretty far drive to Jasmine Falls, isn't it?"

"We have time" he murmured, very tenderly kissing my lips.

"You're unbelievable."

After another night in Tokyo, we set out for Jasmine Falls in the wee hours of the next morning. I listened to a message from Lottie as we drove, updating me that everything was fine, and that a call back so she knew I wasn't dead would be nice. Just as I was about to redial, the concrete in front of us exploded. I put my phone away and clung to Logan as he made a fast side turn. About twenty of those same ninjas were seated across the new indent in the road. We glanced to each other. He turned off the bike and I popped my claws, "Well, nothing like going out without a little workout."


	134. Issue 134

_2_

The house may have been long-since abandoned, but the grave looked clean and new and beautiful.

"Why didn't Daken come with us?" I glanced out over the still waters. Cherry blossoms were still drifting down, disrupting the calm. Gentle ripples floated toward me. Logan didn't answer; I knew this was almost harder than visiting Mariko. This was why Daken couldn't come _with_ us. This was the life neither had really ever had; neither had really ever remembered.

I wandered along the waters, thinking of our earlier battle. Despite their theatrical entrance, they hadn't been as good as the first two. I found myself wandering farther and farther away, until the edge of the water, nestled in the trees, came into view. It wasn't really the edge of the water, it was more like a cave. Japan wasn't notorious for poisonous animals, so I gingerly climbed the slick rocks inside. There was a small entry of perching distance, but a faint glow came into sight under the water. I glanced back; curiosity was getting the better of me. Step by step into the black water, until my booted feet touched a ledge. I was waist deep. I took another look back and dove under.

The hole the light was filtering through was big enough to fit a truck; I had no problem swimming through and emerging in the water on the other side. I took a large gasp of air-I had never been a very good swimmer-and looked around. There had to be another entrance from above ground. Freshly lit torches filled the cavern and the floor was made of beautiful white sand. Gold and crimson cloths were draped around the room like tapestries; it reminded me of the Brides' room in Dracula's Castle...except the large golden box was not a coffin. It was ornate, with platinum and gems, silver accents covered the white gold surface. This was like a treasure hunter's dream come true. I ran my hand over the two pure gold angels on the top of the box.

"Holy shit. They must've ripped this off from the Vatican."

Curiosity was once again getting the better of me. I pried open the lid. It was difficult; it was watertight...it was also covered in rich purple velvet, and totally empty. The temptation got the better of me; I gathered up the silks and covered the inside of the box in them before starting up the incline that lead from the small cove. I wandered through a wooden door into a bare looking house, one on the other side of the lake. A quiet hum escaped my lips. A sniff of the air; no precious metal, but there were some human scents recently. I cracked the door back shut and bolted for the box. Instinct told me something was up, and instinct would be what I followed. I dragged it into the water, and clinging to the side, yanked it upward back through.

It was a struggle, but the heavy thing wasn't particularly weighted down, even if I was floundering, clinging to the ornate ruts. Inch by inch, I pulled it back out and onto the lightened shore.

My arms and legs gave out, temporarily exhausted from pulling such a heavy thing through the water and onto the shore.

x

The Japanese Historical Museum took back their artifact with eager ease, and after getting the story about Yakuza jewel thieves, I knew there had to be a new hand at play here.

Back in our hotel, I lay on the bath in thorough exhaustion. Logan's hands rested on my shoulders before softly massaging the sides of my neck. I melted back against him, letting him scoop me up after a long moment and join me.

"You could've hurt yourself."

"But I'm fine."

His lips followed the tender path his hands worked; taking the tension from my muscles inch by inch. He had me laying back against my chest, and with his gentle touch, I didn't even need to budge. He tenderly caressed my body, stroking my wet hair back with his other hand.

"What do you think of whoever's controlling the Yakuza now? They have to have some smarts...power..."

"I think the Yakuza can wait until we're done here" he murmured into my ear. He nipped it playfully. I purred and pulled away to grin at him, "You're so cruel."

"How so?" He reached out and grasped my hips, pulling me to him. I braced myself against his shoulders, gazing into his eyes, "I love you."

"I love you. So much." He brought me closer and guided my hips, bracing my body with his hands. I let him take control as a whimper slipped from my lips. My fingers slipped into his hair as I leaned in and kissed him passionately. Very gently, he reversed our positions so he was on top, my legs wrapped around his waist, and his gentle, ethereal, ocean blue eyes gazed into mine. His arm wrapped around me as he stroked my cheek with his thumb before caressing down the front of my body. I couldn't help but feel whole as he made love to me, his embrace warmer than the water. Our lips locked lovingly, mine giving to his.

Once, I never would have let someone take control this way. Still, Logan was the only man...the only person, and probably always would be, that I trusted enough to do so. He gripped my hips tightly, his eyes smoldering, his own way of claiming me as his own. We took our time reaching our peak together, the gentle passion smoldering between us too intense to be broken. He held me in the cooling water until the candles started flickering, on the verge of going out.

"Time to go to bed?" he murmured.

I nodded, "In the morning, we beat the Yakuza."


	135. Issue 135

_3_

The Kuzuryu were the most deadly of all the Yakuza. The Nine Headed Dragon-beyond the forces of AIM, The Hand, Hydra...and I knew the name of their master.

Hideki Kurohagi.

It shouldn't have surprised me it was common knowledge; this part of Tokyo, the Yakuza wasn't exactly hidden. All I had to do was walk to get some food down the block and ask about it.

In retrospect, I should've woken Logan up and brought him with, considering since my departure, the "jewel thieves" had come back out to play. A couple of highly trained punk-ass kids with slicked-up two-toned spikes for hair and torn up three-sizes-two-big jeans. They almost looked American. They even fought American. These kids had to be Yakuza blood to get hired by them, but it was through them I learned of Kurohagi.

One committed seppuku before he was forced to reveal anything else. The other...probably wished he had.

Logan caught my hand as I pulled my bag out. He smiled, "Ready already?"

I glanced back toward the living area, where the scent of sweat and fear came from my bound prisoner. He rolled his eyes as he sat up, "I can take you out of the Marauders..."

"But you can't take the twisted out of me." I kissed his jaw, "Good morning."

Quiet murmurs of "doubutsu"-animal- and "kaibutsu"-monster-were being murmured from the young man.

"Oi, Gaijin, you wanna insult me some more?" I leaned over the couch and asked him. Logan shook his head.

The boy looked up at me and gave me some choice words in Japanese. I gave him a few of my own back, along with some threats. That successfully shut up our hostage. Typically, heroes didn't take hostages, but I'd never been very good at being the Scott Summers type.

x

Needless to say, our captive didn't last the next hour; once I had my location, I was done with him. As much as Logan would've protested my methods, he didn't. We'd all changed over time, maybe he was realizing there was indeed method to my madness.

The Kurohagi hideout was on top of a hill in the up-market part of Tokyo; the kind of place that had its own compound, like the Yashida place. It would've been a more beautiful place if it hadn't been owned by one of the world's leading crime bosses...behind me, of course.

He'd been expecting us. His men were armed and trained; so were we. My half of his men went down quickly. I charged the compound, busted down the door, and went down myself. Pain surged through my shoulder. The billowing gold curtain was the only separation between Kurohagi and I, but I could see through the translucent material that he was holding a gun, and he knew how to use it. Whatever poison he had, it was metabolizing quickly. My heart was beating quickly, and the pain was spreading. I felt sick. I yanked out the toxic bullet before it could put too much in my blood. Still, I collapsed, my head spinning with dizziness.

"Fantastic." Despite the Japanese name, the guy sounded American. He'd been in the business long enough, speaking the language long enough.

And then there were two gunshots, and it was all over. Kurohagi dropped in front of me, and I forced myself up. I expected to see Logan, but it wasn't Logan standing there with a gun in his hand. I swore I was hallucinating Ceil Phantomhive, just...smelling of mutant in the same way Jamie Madrox did and clearly more normal looking.

"Who're you?"

He seemed to notice me, and his eyes widened. He rushed over and had me lay down, "Kade...Kade Kilgore. I know this poison, and you need to lay down...the antidote-"

"Useless. Give me a minute."

He looked at me skeptically. Surely, after close to what felt like ten minutes, the dizziness was replaced with a light nausea. I pushed myself up and looked at the boy. He didn't even look close to being teenage, in fact, if I had to throw a guess, I'd say about ten.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve."

Oi. Maybe Vincent _is_ a bit advanced for his age.

There was a silence between us as he looked to the floor, sitting there. I ran a hand through my hair and looked at him, "Where do you live?"

"New York. Or...I did, before everything went to hell with the Hellfire Club."

I sat down on the floor. Even with unease clawing at my stomach, wondering desperately where Logan was, why it was taking him so long to get to us, I brought the little boy to look at me, "and what happened?"

"I made a plot to kill my father...and I did...and I inherited his weapons empire, took over the Hellfire Club and then...it kinda went south and they bombed my house, and Kurohagi was going to sell me out unless I supplied him..."

"Shit."

He nodded and looked at me. This kid was definitely a lot like my son. I could've laughed at the innocence in his face as he looked at me, trying not to stare and trying not to blush, though his cheeks were slowly flushing pink. I reached out and stroked his face, and not only did the pink rise to the surface like a snake to a charmer, but tiny, little-boy tears started spilling down the bruised apples of his cheeks. The urge overcame me and I grabbed him into a tight hug, scooping him onto my lap and cradling him like I used to cradle Vincent. Very innocently, he buried his face into my chest and cried. Beyond the anger, beyond the hate, there was a little boy who was in a lot of pain.

He sobbed quietly and wiped his face, "The last place I expected to break down was in the bosom of a beautiful woman."

...maybe all twelve year olds were turning into poetic romantics.

x

"Tadaima! I'm back!" I called into the house, as if summoning everyone.

Lottie emerged from the kitchen with Slade on her hip, the crabby twin scowling as usual, though Lottie, as cheerful as ever, wrapped an arm around me, "Okaeri nasai. Welcome back."

I laughed, "Thanks for the lesson love. Were they little monsters?"

"Not at all. Ronnie's begun to say Vicky...badly...and mine. She's almost made it to love."

I grinned and hugged her tightly again, "Thank you." With a soft kiss to Slade's temple, he actually broke the scowl for a moment, his cheeks pinking ever so slightly.

Tayla popped over the back of the couch as Logan entered. We'd dropped off Kade at Xavier's and promised to be back later in the week to check up on him. She smiled sweetly and said, "Otousan, did you bring me back a yukata for my birthday?"

"Yeah, just like you asked" he kissed her head as he scooped her up onto his side. She clung to his jacket and smiled, "Watashi no hon?"

"Hai."

Lottie gave me a glance, "I didn't know Tayla spoke Japanese."

"Hardly. She knows enough to carry on a short conversation with Logan."

"Still...she's three."

"And Japanese is the only other language she knows."

"Oyasumi nasai" she murmured, kissing Logan's cheek. I was sure she expected him to put her down, but he glanced to me and kept her there, "I got this tonight, okay?"

I smiled warmly and gestured for him to go. Tayla squeaked in delight and clung to his neck as he went to tuck her in.

"What did she just say?" Lottie murmured to me.

"First, 'my book?', then he replied with 'yes' and she told him 'goodnight'."

"Oh...teach me?"

"I'd be obliged" I laughed and lead her up to the bedroom with our bags.

"First off, what's a yukata?"

"A summer kimono...let me show you mine. If you want, you can have one?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

**X**


	136. Issue 136

**The Card Game**

"Read 'em and weep boys, a San Francisco wedding, two kings, two queens" Aaron said, tossing down his hand and kicking his feet up on the table with expert, practiced ease.

"Damn" Kade muttered.

"Hey, Jason? Miss Frost is looking for you...she wants to remind you to do that thing..." Vincent said.

"Flush?" the little boy on the floor pitched in.

"YES!" Vincent smacked down his hand and Aaron got out of his chair, walking across the room. Kade buried his face in his hands. Jason giggled.

Aaron spun back to look at him, "How the hell do you do that!"

"I'm half Irish."

"Lucky bastard" Kade muttered.

"Lucky to an extreme! He's got the hottest girlfriend, the most badass family-"

"The biggest dick" Vincent pitched in with a wicked grin.

"Bastard" Kade muttered again, "Where's the vodka?"

"Back table" Aaron said.

Vincent lit a cigar and took a long inhale, taking a drink of his whiskey before the next round. Aaron scowled and leaned back, watching him.

"What?"

Aaron's blood was running cold. He looked away as he murmured, "You look like him."

Jason looked up and said, "Vincent looks like Vincent."

Vincent just scowled, brooding over the comment. Kade glanced back, "He looks nothing like Sabretooth. Just...y'know, the hair. But he's a lot leaner built, and he doesn't have that _look._ You know, where he's going to tear you into shreds for looking at him wrong."

"He almost did. Twice. and his brother did."

Jason scowled and said, "I don't wanna lose my bubby."

Vincent got up and scooped Jason up. He looked in the little boy's mismatched eyes, "You won't. I promise."

Kade looked at them and sighed, "You two have an odd relationship. I can't tell if you wanna kill each other or sleep with each other."

Vincent's eyes widened. He just about dropped his whiskey. Aaron turned red.

"Sleep with each other?" Vincent said.

Kade looked between them and got a sheepish look, "I just out-ed you, didn't I?"

"Yep. Thanks." Aaron said.

"Wait, you're-?"

"Bi, thanks" Aaron rubbed his neck, "It would've been nice if you caught me staring yourself..."

"Oh" Vincent turned pink, "...Thanks."

"No problem. You have a nice body. You're married though, so it's cool. I just made this really weird, didn't I?"

"Nah. It's really quite flattering. And I can't stop you from copping a feel if you want."

"Oh Lord" Kade murmured quietly.

"Can I?" Aaron asked sheepishly.

Vincent flexed his growing biceps and Aaron felt them, his face flushing with blush, "God you look...amazing."

"Thank you." Aaron's hand ran over Vincent's arm and rested on his shoulder, "Damn are you built."

"Damn this is awkward!" Kade said.

Vincent rolled his eyes and flexed his other arm, "Welcome to the gun show."

"Oh god." Kade's words were accompanied with a slump into his chair.

"Oh god" Aaron murmured appreciatively. Vincent purred quietly as Aaron ran his hands over his chest, down to his abs, feeling him up. He smirked at the deep blush that covered Aaron's face, "You blush worse than my wife."

The woman in question suddenly entered the room and blushed lightly as she saw Aaron's hands on Vincent's chest, "What did I walk in on?"

"The most insane game of poker ever" Kade said, tossing back his vodka.

Lottie placed the bag of chips she brought them on the table and went over to Vincent. Aaron scooped Jason off his lap so Lottie replaced where the boy had sat, her arms winding around his neck. As if marking her territory, she rubbed her body against his, drawing a low purr from him, and kissed him passionately.

This time, all three of the others had to look away.

**X**


	137. Issue 137

**The Red Butterfly**

I scrambled to get the ringing phone off my bed, my still-damp hair dripping on the too-big San Fran Bay crop top. Like a teenager in my pink zebra striped shorts, I flung myself down on the bed and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey baby. What're you doing?"

I rolled onto my stomach on the bed, toying with the collar of my hobo-chic shirt, smirking wickedly, "Oh nothing, just got out of the shower...laying in bed..."

Logan purred quietly; I could hear the smirk in his voice, "Wearing something sexy for me?"

"Not particularly" I laughed.

"Jesus Logan" I heard Jamie Madrox say, "You got a monster in your pants or something there buddy?"

I laughed and heard him growl. I rolled over, laying on my back, and I purred. Logan's growl quieted. "Calm down...pretend you're laying with me. Cuddling up. I'm getting sleepy..."

The line beeped. I glanced at it. "And I have to go." He had no problems hanging up.

"Asami, what's up?"

"How soon can you get to Japan?"

x

A woman never gets a break. That was the only thought in my mind as I glanced over the fresh crime scene. An elegant room in a high-priced hotel, and a dead geisha at my feet. The woman looked horrified. Honestly, the way Japan was, I was surprised geishas still existed...some people just have to stick with the old ways.

I had the scent. I glanced to Asami, "Your plan will work. He's good at what he does. He smells like all of the victims. He gets around."

"Can you handle it?"

I smirked and ran my fingertips along the window sill, touching the still wet blood, "You know me through Logan, doll. You really need to ask?"

x

Delicate. Graceful. Beautiful...Deadly. People had never seen a red-haired geisha, but with the makeup and the kimono, there were no whispers of gaijin, only of 'exotic' and 'beautiful'.

I heard someone asking about me, or rather, _The Red Butterfly_-my new alias for this little job. I also heard Asami with one of his Japanese Intelligence Agents.

"I hope she knows what she's doing" the agent said to him. I almost laughed. Asami gave her a look, "She's Wolverine's wife." That seemed self-explanatory.

I felt a hand on my arm. I glanced up, as if I hadn't sensed him. He didn't look half bad. If I had to bet, he was only half Japanese. He had strong, almost Italian features.

But no more admiring the bad guy; he reeked like blood and death. Even without my senses I could tell he was cocky. He got what he wanted. I was the exotic prey. Suddenly, I thought, maybe it would be more fun if I let it play out a while. A little sex, some stabbing, some sadistic playtime before I killed him. The predator inside me was purring; she wanted to play with her prey before the life left his body. But the idea of doing so actually repulsed her to a degree. She wanted her mate and her mate alone. Even the animal side of me was torn.

He lead me into a nice room in another hotel. Asami was tailing, as usual, from a safe distance. We'd no sooner made it through the door than he had a knife out, "Pretty girls are such a rare thing."

"So are Japanese that speak and kill like Americans."

He attacked, I parried. I whipped out the dagger that had been holding my hair up and pinned him back onto the bed in the room. I took hold of his wrist and purred, "The thing about the red butterflies...they're pure poison." And I slashed his throat with my hairpin. He dropped his knife. I had no sooner wiped the blood off the hairpin and wiped it on his handkerchief than Asami burst in, guns drawn.

I did my hair in a neat little halo braid, holding the mixed indigo and red strands in the back with said pin, "Took you long enough."

He glanced to him than me, and shook his head, "Europeans."

I went to the bathroom in the part of the room and washed away my geisha makeup, leaving only the red on my lips and the darkness on my eyes. I left a soft red kiss mark on Asami's cheek as I walked by, "Have fun, sweet little government hooker."

He rolled his eyes, a tone of blush beneath the honey tone of his skin. I was sure he was about to tell me to go home, but the glare of the little agent girl at his side was enough. With a salute, I was off already.

x

Logan was just getting home when I did. He stripped out of the shirt of his uniform and tossed it onto the floor as I leaned in the doorway and smiled, "Don't turn around. Guess what I'm wearing."

I could almost feel his wicked smirk, "Something sexy for me?"

I moved to wrap my arms around his neck from behind, placing a red kiss mark on the base of his throat, "Exactly."

**X**


	138. Issue 138

**Devil's Daughter**

**-Fear Itself Tie-In-**

When Avenger's Tower fell...it was like 9/11 all over again. Sin had destroyed one of America's symbols of power, strength and unity. I knew I had to get involved.

That was why I was pinned under an eighty ton robot in the middle of downtown Manhattan; blood was pouring from my wounds onto the brick and debris of what had once been my temporary home.

"How the mighty have fallen!" Sin nearly sang.

The metal was about to slice me in half. I didn't give her the satisfaction of a scream; I grasped the sharp metal edge and pushed back. Without metal, I was as good as human.

Heat spread over my arms. I was so weak, I embraced it. I was pushing it back, even as I gave into the warmth that suddenly spread over me.

_Don't you fucking dare give up. _My father's voice was in my ear, pushing me forward, _You gave me the Red Skull, now I'm giving you the power to defeat his daughter._

"What? No...I have that already...just need to heal..."

_It's not an option. Now go._ A surge of heat pushed through me. I felt like Phoenix; the fire burned away my wounds. I charged up the arm of the Nazi-bot and up to Sin, claws out, a feral roar ripping from my throat.

For a moment, time slowed down. My arm drew back, a flash of red coating my claws like fire. They felt as if they had metal on them again, though it was only a phantom sensation. One hard, deep swipe, and her head disconnected from her body. The world seemed to be entirely focused on me; and then a face knocked me back onto the pavement. The Asgardian god of Fear. It went black.

x

_One hour earlier_

I entered the firefight the same way I entered any firefight; claws out, ready to fight. The American Special Forces had been deployed, and apparently, the Army, Military and Navy were trying to handle things elsewhere. I had a scared group of thirty-something young men. The guy was winning already.

"You fought in world war two?" One asked me, crouching behind a car.

"Yeah. One, Two, 'Nam, Korea, did some espionage during the Cold..."

"Civil?"

"I'm not that old."

He laughed softly.

"I was young back in One, trust me, if the Brits hadn't taken me nobody would've."

"Is that why you became a superhero?"

I glanced to him, "Saving the asses of kids like you is more like it."

Even I was overconfident; I'd seen one too many firefights to think this one was any different. I charged out when the opportunity presented itself, the boy following like a lost puppy. A rocket had been launched; we both went down. The difference was, my wounds healed, his didn't.

I was up and charging-and then Sin's bot fell from the sky.

x

My body was streaming blood again when I woke. I climbed off the car, and then I saw it. Endowed with the mystical forces of good and evil, I saw my father battling the god of fear.

Bobbi wrapped a hand around my arm and hauled me to the side, "Nikki, you alright?"

I nodded, though a sudden pain made me double over. She knelt by my side and glanced back. We were so close to the firefight, so close to the bodies, but there was blood coming from an open wound. I clamped my hand over it, glancing to Mockingbird, "I think we can make it back..."

She nodded and grasped me tightly, pushing me forward. Blood splashed against my hand. My wound was deep. We managed to make it, though, to where Jessica had herded the civilians. She still had her baby on her shoulder.

"Nikki!" she rushed over to me and slipped her other arm around me, helping Bobbi nearly carry me to where I could sit. She knelt by my side and brushed the dirty, blood-wetted strands of my hair back from my face. "Oh god that's deep...move your hand, let me see."

Pain pulsed, like a cramp. I nodded and allowed her to see. She looked horrified and moved to let Bobbi take over. "Nikki, this looks...honestly, horrible."

I nodded slowly, uncomprehending. I was developing a headache quickly.

"We need to get Logan, and a medic" Bobbi told someone else. I knew Jessica was half-tempted to ask for Luke or Barton, but I clung to Bobbi's hand, "What...happened? Why does it hurt so much...?"

She frowned and held my hand back. I knew I'd never shown this kind of vulnerability around my comrades-in-arms before, but it hurt, and she knew.

"You'll be okay."

I nodded.

The ground shook. I clutched her with a cry. I'd find out later, that was the moment the god of fear had fallen.

x

Logan sat by my side wordlessly post-op. I didn't know what emergency surgery would do with a healing factor, but it had certainly...kick-started it.

I squeezed his hand softly, "Hey..."

He looked at me and stroked my hair, "I'm sorry I wasn't there..."

"You do this world saving thing all the time, it's okay. I guess everyone comes out of retirement once or twice."

He kissed my temple and nudged his nose against mine, softly. Doctor Rao walked into the room, smiling, "How do you feel?"

"Good" I smiled back.

"We kicked your healing factor in and gave you some light stitching, you should be able to have them out in a few days. You had a very good near miss."

"Near miss?" Logan spoke for me.

"The injury you sustained" Doctor Rao spoke once again to me, "was very close to your womb. If it had been inches off, you would've had to have it completely removed, and see if your healing factor could've repaired that sort of damage..."

Logan scowled. I rested my hand over the spot, "But it's okay, right?"

"Yes, of course" she walked over to me and smiled warmly, "and after all the damage you sustained to begin with, I know you would've healed."

I grinned back, "I know my kids. I think I have a few times already."

Logan's scowl only deepened as he stroked my face. Blessedly, she left us be for a moment as I stroked his jaw in reply, softly toying with his sideburn. "Talk to me."

He stroked my hair, "We have forever...I want our options to be open."

I brought him close and kissed him, "I love you. And maybe...maybe. It all depends."

He nodded, "Think you can travel?"

I smiled, "Just take me home."

**X**


	139. Issue 139

**Ties That Bind**

***Schism tie-in***

Slowly, my hand slid out from under the blankets and banged down the alarm, nearly shattering the clock. Lottie giggled and nuzzled closer, "Time to get up?"

"No...little longer..." Not soon enough, I was being nudged awake. I rolled over, "Five more minutes babe!"

"...Ew."

I flailed and fell out of bed, yanking the sheet around my lower body, "KADE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?"

"Your wife let me in" his eyes widened, "Are you naked? Oh my god! You're naked!"

"I think being married constitutes being naked in my own house!" I grabbed a pair of boxers and lunged for the bathroom. Kade ducked out and I couldn't help but growl at my rude, intrusive awakening.

There was a knock at the bathroom door.

"For fuck's sake I'm getting up!" I yelled, pulling on yesterday's jeans from my laundry since I knew damn well I didn't have any more.

"It's not Kade, it's Aaron."

I almost muttered _wonderful,_ but it _was_ an improvement. I opened the door and glanced out at him, "So my friends have showed up in my house at-" I glanced at the clock and scowled, "Eight AM why?"

The way he looked, the sorrow in his eyes was immense. Then I saw the bandages covering most of his arm, gauze taped to his neck. I grasped his shoulders gently, "What happened?"

"Nation X was bombed...The X-Men were out, so they were okay, but Hope couldn't get everybody out..."

I burst down the stairs. Gathered in my living room; Hope and her little friends, the newest New Mutants. Laura's friend Julian, and a couple kids I knew. The group totaled all of twenty people. Minus the X-Men. Most noticeably absent was Aaron's brother, Jason, even though Kade sat near the WWE backpack with the Randy Orton figure hanging out of the pocket.

I turned back to Aaron. He had tears in his eyes. I went to him and grasped him in a light, gentle hug, and he clung on.

Suddenly, my mother was in the room; "What happened? I want the full story, now." She was fully suited, clearly ready to kill. Kade may have owned the world, but my mother was the new Romulus; she controlled it. And someone was going to pay.

Suddenly, it all happened. A new stock report came in. Instantly, my mom was on the phone, asking why things had happened, who was responsible for them. Quickly, I knew exactly what she was doing. I brought Aaron and Kade into the kitchen where Lottie was with the kids.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Alex!" Mom called.

"What's going on?" Lottie shouted.

"Well, one of two things" I said, scooping up Tayla to sit on my lap. Aaron slid in the chair next to me, "One, my mom will take out a bunch of people and do some damage control. Two...she'll bring Romulus back."

The look on Lottie's face was unbelievable. She looked frightened...even horrified. The jet took off, and I joined the X-Kids in the living room, watching TV. There were Sentinels on the screen...and then there weren't. It was like the A-Bomb was being dropped; bright, powerful flashes were shooting across the screen. Alex was ahead of Mom, using his powers like she'd taught him. Teleport, blast, teleport, blast. The phone rang, and Lottie grabbed it. Logan sounded beyond pissed off, but I couldn't focus. Teleport, blast.

"-The international body count stands at three billion and is rising quickly. Estimated are at least half the populations in most countries in Asia and Europe, and-"

The feed went dead.

x

"The final body count stands at four _billion_ people worldwide. Small countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic have felt the brunt of this global tragedy the hardest. What most people seem to wonder, is if this connects to the attack on Utopia earlier this morning, and how the world will be able to view mutants the same way ever again."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?" Logan shouted at Alex in the kitchen, where we could still hear.

"Do you have any idea how I needed to do this? Our people were just targeted again Logan! Do you know how many X-Men are left? FOURTY! Forty X-Men, Logan!"

"And our son just took out more than half the world's population! Are you seriously saying he did _right?_"

"I hate to break it to you, but _I_ rule the world! _I_ took over, Logan, I run it all, not you!"

"You should've brought back Romulus."

"You should've let me do what I do!"

"They're gonna do this all day." Lottie murmured with a sigh. I knew she was getting a headache, so was I. There was a loud roar. I was on my feet. I ran into the room, leaving Lottie in place. A hot, white blast hit me and threw me into the wall.

"Vincent!" I heard Lottie shout. She raced to my side and knelt beside me. The house was deathly silent. She gasped, and I heard a few select things from the living room, as well as the kitchen.

"Momma?" It wasn't Tayla...

"Alex? Alex?" Mom was fussing over him. He'd collapsed after that blast, I knew. I was exhausted when I overdid it, but Alex...he'd gone three levels above Armegeddon today. I pushed myself up on my arms and rubbed my hand across my eyes, "I'm fine...holy shit."

I was older again. About Lottie's age, older.

"MOMMA!" The voice just wouldn't wait. I walked into the living room and looked down.

Standing there, in a little, angelic white dress, with purple tinted eyes and blond hair...Vicky. My eyes widened. Lottie gasped. I picked her up and smelled her, deeply inhaling her scent. It was definitely Vicky, but she'd jumped about five years. She giggled and stroked her small claws through my hair, "Daddy, you're being silly. It's me."

"Holy shit" I murmured. She clung to me and looked at Lottie with sweet eyes, "Can I have some whiskey?"

Slade, Conrad, Ronnie, Arka and Kai still were small. And emerging from the upstairs hall, in one of the too-big shirts that had just been in the wash...Tayla.

"I hate you people, so much. I'm supposed to be three in another day and a half! You guys couldn't have waited another day and a half?"

I glanced to Lottie, her eyes were wide. "Glad he didn't get all of them, huh?"

She nodded slowly and took Vicky from my arms. Tayla glared at me, "Where's mom? I need to tell her I need to borrow her clothes."

"...Hey mom? Your seventeen year old looking almost three year old daughter needs some panties!" I yelled.

As per typical Tayla, she hit me hard and repeatedly. I laughed and got away from her, pleased with my new physique. Nothing had changed about us, just our appearances.

Maybe...that was the good part.

**X**

**End of Book Three**


End file.
